Summary
Sporobolus virginicus (L.) Kunth is a halophytic grass native to tropical and warm temperate coasts throughout the world. A rhizomatous perennial with erect culms,S. virginicus occurs as two genetically distinct growth forms, which are designated by their characteristic habitats as “marsh” and “dune”. What accounts for the specific distribution and maintenance of two separate ecotypes ofS. virginicus is not known. The present study examined the effects of seawater salinity on several morphological and physiological responses of hydroponically cultivated marsh and dune plants to determine whether differential tolerance to substrate salinity might contribute to the observed pattern of habitation. Both marsh and dune form plants survived prolonged exposure to full-strength seawater and reproduced vegetatively via culms and rhizomes. Salinity-induced reductions in culm height, internode length, and leaf size led to a miniaturization of marsh and dune plants. Sodium ion levels were low (<1.0 mmol/g dry weight) in various organs of salinized plants irrespective of ecotype, and potassium ion content increased in all salt-challenged plants, as did quarternary ammonium compounds and proline. Significant differences, however, between marsh and dune plants with respect to the effects of salinity on resource allocation, flowering phenology, and protein composition suggested that external salt concentration has a role in determining ecotype distribution.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Boyd RS, Barbour MG (1986) Relative salt tolerance ofCakile edentula (Brassicaceae) from lacustrine and marine beaches. Am J Bot 73:236–341
Breen CM, Everson C, Rogers K (1977) Ecological studies onSporobolus virginicus (L.) Kunth. with particular reference to salinity and inundation. Hydrobiologica 54:135–140
Cook D, Gallagher JL (in review) Protein patterns of the brackish marsh dicotKosteletzkya virginica (Malvaceae) change in response to salt challenge
Donovan LA, Gallagher JL (1984) Anaerobic substrate tolerance inSporobolus virginicus (L.) Kunth. Am J Bot 7:1424–1431
Donovan LA, Gallagher JL (1985) Morphological responses of a marsh grass,Sporobolus virqinicus (L.) Kunth., to saline and anaerobic stresses. Wetlands 5:1–13
Flanagan LB, Jefferies RL (1988) Stomatal limitation of photosynthesis and reduced growth of the halophyte,Plantago maritima, at high salinity. Plant Cell Environ 11:239–249
Gallagher JL (1979) Growth and element compositional responses ofSporobolus virginicus (L.) Kunth. to substrate salinity and nitrogen. Am Midland Nat 102:68–75
Gallagher JL (1985) Halophytic crops for cultivation at seawater salinity. Plant Soil 89:323–336
Haines BL, Dunn EL (1976) Growth and resource allocation responses ofSpartina alterniflora Loisel. to three levels of NH4−N, Fe, and NaCl in solution culture. Bot Gaz 137:224–230
Hiscox JD, Israelsham GF (1979) A method for the extraction of chlorophyll from leaf tissue without maceration. Can J Bot 57:1332–1334
Hitchcock AS (1971) Manual of the Grasses of the United States. Dover Publications, New York, p. 418
Hoagland DR, Arnon DI (1950) The water culture method for growing plants without soil. Calif Agric Exp Stn Circ No 347
Hurkman WJ, Tanaka CK (1987) The effects of salt on the pattern of protein synthesis in barley roots. Plant Physiol 83:517–524
Laemmli UK (1970) Cleavage of structural proteins, during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature 226:680
Ramapogal S (1987) Salinity stress induced tissue-specific proteins in barley seedlings. Plant Physiol 84:324–331
Stewart GR, Larher F, Ahmad I, Lee JA (1979) Nitrogen metabolism and salt tolerance in higher plant halophytes. In: Jefferies RL, Davies AJ (eds.), Ecological processes in coastal environments Blackwell, Oxford, pp 211–227
Storey R, Wyn Jones RG (1977) Quarternary ammonium compounds in plants in relation to salt resistance. Phytochemistry 16:447–453
Straub PF, Gallagher JL (1987) SDS soluble protein patterns in salt (NaCl) treated and control suspension cultures of three halophytes. J Cell Biochem [Suppl] 11B:45
Wall JS, Christianson DD, Dimler RJ, Senti FR (1960) Spectrophotometric determination of betaines and other quarternary nitrogen compounds as their periodides. Anal Chem 32:870–877
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Blits, K.C., Gallagher, J.L. Morphological and physiological responses to increased salinity in marsh and dune ecotypes ofSporobolus virginicus (L.) Kunth. Oecologia 87, 330–335 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00634587
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00634587