Salt tolerance and ion relations of Salsola kali L.: differences between ssp. tragus (L.) Nyman and ssp. ruthenica (Iljin) Soó

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Abstract
Summary: The effect of increasing salt concentrations (up to 200 mmol l−1 Cl−1 on growth, succulence and mineral composition has been studied in some accessions of Saltola kali L. ssp. tragus (L.) Nyman and ssp. ruthenica (Iljin) Soó Differences between accessions corresponded to the taxonomic distinction of subspecies. Dry weight was increased by 50 mmol l−1 NaCl in ssp. tragus, but not in ssp. ruthenica. Rising salinity increased shoot water content in both subspecies, but ssp. tragus was more succulent than ssp. ruthenica. ssp. tragus potassium content decreased after NaCl treatment, and the accumulation of sodium was significantly higher than in ssp. ruthenica. Chloride content and total cation concentration were similar in all accessions. The results indicate a positive correlation between salt tolerance, succulence and low K/Na‐ratios in leaves.