The Ultrastructural Basis of Chloride Tolerance in the Leaf of Frankenia

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Abstract
The ultrastructural distribution of chloride in the leaf of the halophyte, Frankenia, was investigated by the silver precipitation technique. A comparison was made between leaves of low salt status samples and those of high salt status samples. The main findings were: (1) The leaf apoplast becomes chloride-laden under saline conditions; (2) the presence of ‘specialized’ vacuoles in mesophyll cells results in a lower chloroplast chloride content compared to cells lacking such vacuoles; (3) the primary sites of chloride in the salt gland are the electron dense microvacuoles, the cell walls, and the interfacial apparatus. These results are applied to a comprehensive hypothesis of chloride tolerance in the leaf of Frankenia.