Salt glands of Armeria canescens (Host) Boiss.: Morphological and functional aspects

The morphology and functionality of salt glands in four Italian Armeria canescens populations were investigated. Microscopic analysis showed that salt glands consist of 16 cells arranged in four quadrants, including four subsidiary cells and 12 gland cells. The main secreted elements are K, Ca and C...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Plant biosystems 2016-11, Vol.150 (6), p.1134-1139
Main Authors: Scassellati, E., Pasqua, G., Valletta, A., Abbate, G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Armeria
Microscopic analysis
Plumbaginaceae
salt glands
Salts
SEM microanalysis
soil composition
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Summary:The morphology and functionality of salt glands in four Italian Armeria canescens populations were investigated. Microscopic analysis showed that salt glands consist of 16 cells arranged in four quadrants, including four subsidiary cells and 12 gland cells. The main secreted elements are K, Ca and Cl, although qualitative and quantitative differences were observed between gland and subsidiary cells. Soil characteristics like texture, pH and C/N ratio were shown to vary between population sites. The highest number of glands per leaf area was found in plants from Ca-rich sites. Although A. canescens is not a halophilous species, its salt glands were revealed to be active, suggesting that they could represent an ancestral character.
ISSN:1126-3504
1724-5575
DOI:10.1080/11263504.2016.1186126