SALINITY TOLERANCE IN PHILLYREA SPECIES

The genus Phillyrea includes woody shrub species of Mediterranean maqu is which can be found occasionally in saline soils or areas exposed to salt aerosols. To test salinity tolerance in Phillyrea latifolia L., plants were grown in 1-1 containers and exposed to different levels of salinity in a glasshouse over two growing seasons. Plants survived ex posure to NaCl concentrations of up to 500 mM NaCl for 4 months. Analy sis of the growth response to increasing salinity showed that shoot el ongation was inhibited by 50 % at 123 and 135 mM external NaCl after 3 1 and 123 d of salt treatment, respectively. Growth parameters were co mpletely inhibited by treatment with 300 mM external NaCl for 64 d. Hi gh salt tolerance in Phillyrea plants was the result of both exclusion and secretion mechanisms. Secretion of ions occurred via salt glands present mainly on the abaxial surface of the leaf. Salt glands occurre d alone or in pairs and were typically formed by a highly vacuolated c ollecting cell, a stalk cell and a group of 10-16 secretory cells. The mean diameter of the glands was 54 mu m and the average density was 6 .1 mm(-2) (abaxial side). Peaks of Cl, K, Ca, Na, Si, Mg, Fe and Cu we re detected in salt crystals near glands by X-ray microprobe analysis. This is the first report of salt glands in the Oleaceae family and of their role in salinity tolerance in Phillyrea species.