Anatomical adaptations to salinity in cogon grass [Imperata cylindrica (L.) Raeuschel] from the Salt Range, Pakistan

Abstract

To examine anatomical adaptations in a potential forage grass, Imperata cylindrica (L.) Raeuschel, a population was collected from the natural salt-affected soils of the Salt Range, Pakistan. Using a hydroponic system, the degree of salt tolerance in terms of structural modifications in the Salt Range ecotype was compared with that in an ecotype collected from a normal non-saline habitat of the Faisalabad region. The Salt Range ecotype was superior to the Faisalabad ecotype in biomass production under saline conditions. High salt tolerance of the Salt Range ecotype was associated with increased succulence in root and leaf (mainly midrib), formation of aerenchyma in leaf sheath, increased vascular bundle area, metaxylem area and phloem area, highly developed bulliform cells on leaves and increased sclerification in root and leaf. Furthermore, both stomatal density and stomatal area were considerably reduced under high salinities in the Salt Range ecotype.

Environmental and genetic variation in leaf anatomy among populations ofAndropogon gerardii(Poaceae) along a precipitation gradient

“…Studies of grass leaf anatomy have included variation across seasons (Ferris et al, 1996), between perennials and annuals (Garnier and Laurent, 1994), between C 3 and C 4 species (Dengler et al, 1994), within C 4 subtypes (Carmo‐Silva et al, 2009), across C 4 species (Magai et al, 1994), between species of a single genus (Maricle et al, 2009), and adaptations of species to water stress (Maricle et al, 2007; Hameed et al, 2009). Other studies have compared variation among multiple species along a precipitation gradient (Cunningham et al, 1999), but few studies have addressed variation in leaf anatomy of a single species over a precipitation gradient (Vasellati et al, 2001), as we have done here.…”

“…Whereas variation in general leaf anatomy has been documented between many grass species (e.g., Brown, 1958; Brown et al, 1985; Garnier and Laurent, 1994; Garnier et al, 1999; Maricle et al, 2009), anatomical variation and adaptations of leaves among populations of a single species has received little attention. Intraspecific leaf variation has been described within grasses, including reports of chloroplast structure (Zheng et al, 2000), vascular bundle area (Chen et al, 2006), mesophyll area, epidermal cell length (Ferris et al, 1996), bundle sheath area (Liu et al, 2012), midrib succulence, and stomatal density (Ferris et al, 1996; Hameed et al, 2009). Stace (1991) suggested anatomical features in grasses might be more important than morphological features systematically because anatomical features are less susceptible to environmental change.…”

Physiological and Anatomical Mechanisms in Wheat to Cope with Salt Stress Induced by Seawater

“…Most plant physiological processes associated with salinity are linked to anatomical structure adaptation, which allows plants to grow under abiotic stress [55]. For instance, salt stress resulted in physiological and morpho-anatomic changes in Lotus tenuis [56].…”

Evidence of incipient speciation in the Neotropical mangrovePelliciera rhizophorae(Tetrameristaceae) as revealed by molecular, morphological, physiological and climatic characteristics

“…Regarding the physiology of the two lineages, we have evidence that suggests greater adaptability to a dry climate for the lineage that has fewer stomata in the adaxial axis, decreasing dehydration under the drought conditions to which it is subjected, the same as occurs in the grass Imperata cylindrica (L.) P.Beauv. (Hameed, Ashraf & Naz, ). Moreover, our data reveal a decreased level of vegetative growth in the dry climate lineage, which could indicate its potential to adapt to climatic pressures.…”