| Aeluropus lagopoides | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Genus: | Aeluropus |
| Species: | A. lagopoides |
| Binomial name | |
| Aeluropus lagopoides (L.) Thwaites | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Aeluropus lagopoides, sometimes called mangrove grass or rabbit-foot aeluropus, [1] is a species of Eurasian and African plant in the grass family, found primarily in salty soils and waste places.
Aeluropus lagopoides is a mat-forming, straggling perennial with long stolons and pungent foliage. The stems grow to a maximum length of 30 cm (12 in) and may become woody. The growth is sometimes in the form of tufted erect stems, or may have prostrate stems that root at the nodes. The greyish-green leaves have loose leaf-sheaths, and grow in a single plane from either side of the stem. They are lanceolate with rounded bases, stiff and leathery, 5 to 40 mm (0.2 to 1.6 in) long and 2 to 3 mm (0.08 to 0.12 in) wide. The leaf blades have rough surfaces and are ribbed, with entire margins and pointed tips. The inflorescence is a globose, elliptic or oblong head of densely crowded spikelets, up to 20 mm (0.8 in) long and 10 to 15 mm (0.4 to 0.6 in) wide. [2] [3]
Aeluropus lagopoides is found in northern Africa, the eastern Mediterranean region, the Middle East, the Arabian Peninsula and eastwards in Asia as far as Pakistan and India. It is a halophytic plant and is found in damp soil on the fringes of salt marshes, near sulphurous springs, on salt flats, on vacant ground, road verges and in places where little else grows. [4] In the Indian subcontinent it is only found in areas with arid and semi-arid soils. It is found in wet and even waterlogged saline conditions but not in highly alkaline soils. [5]
Aeluropus lagopoides is adapted to the saline conditions in which it is often found by having a thick waxy cuticle, and by having glands that can secrete excess salt. [6] [7] The seeds are able to germinate at concentrations of up to 500 mM NaCl in warmer conditions, a concentration of salt roughly equivalent to sea water, but not at temperatures below 20 °C (68 °F); the seeds remain viable at high salt concentrations and can germinate when the concentration reduces, after rainfall for example. [6]
Aeluropus lagopoides is useful for stabilising sand and produces good fodder, dying back in the dry season and sprouting well after winter rains. [3] Despite a three-fold increase in soil salt content in some areas in summer, the concentration of salt in the tissues shows little variation. [6] It is favoured by grazing animals because the foliage does not accumulate salt in the same way as does that of Suaeda fruticosa and Salsola stocksii , other plants with which it is found growing on saltlands. [5]
Halotolerance is the adaptation of living organisms to conditions of high salinity. Halotolerant species tend to live in areas such as hypersaline lakes, coastal dunes, saline deserts, salt marshes, and inland salt seas and springs. Halophiles are organisms that live in highly saline environments, and require the salinity to survive, while halotolerant organisms can grow under saline conditions, but do not require elevated concentrations of salt for growth. Halophytes are salt-tolerant higher plants. Halotolerant microorganisms are of considerable biotechnological interest.
Bromus tectorum, known as downy brome, drooping brome or cheatgrass, is a winter annual grass native to Europe, southwestern Asia, and northern Africa, but has become invasive in many other areas. It now is present in most of Europe, southern Russia, Japan, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Greenland, North America and western Central Asia. In the eastern US B. tectorum is common along roadsides and as a crop weed, but usually does not dominate an ecosystem. It has become a dominant species in the Intermountain West and parts of Canada, and displays especially invasive behavior in the sagebrush steppe ecosystems where it has been listed as noxious weed. B. tectorum often enters the site in an area that has been disturbed, and then quickly expands into the surrounding area through its rapid growth and prolific seed production.
Distichlis palmeri is an obligate emergent perennial rhizomatous dioecious halophytic C4 grass in the Poaceae (Gramineae) family. D. palmeri is a saltwater marsh grass endemic to the tidal marshes of the northern part of the Gulf of California and Islands section of the Sonoran Desert. D.palmeri is not drought tolerant. It does withstand surface drying between supra tidal events because roots extend downward to more than 1 meter where coastal substrata is still moist.
Hordeum jubatum, with common names foxtail barley, bobtail barley, squirreltail barley, and intermediate barley, is a perennial plant species in the grass family Poaceae. It occurs wild mainly in northern North America and adjacent northeastern Siberia. However, as it escaped often from gardens it can be found worldwide in areas with temperate to warm climates, and is considered a weed in many countries. The species is a polyploid and originated via hybridization of an East Asian Hordeum species with a close but extinct relative of Californian H. brachyantherum. It is grown as an ornamental plant for its attractive inflorescences and when done flowering for its inflorescence.
Atriplex semibaccata, commonly known as Australian saltbush, berry saltbush, or creeping saltbush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a perennial herb native to Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales, but has been introduced into other states and to overseas countries. It flowers and fruits in spring, and propagates from seed when the fruit splits open. This species of saltbush is adapted to inconsistent rainfall, temperature and humidity extremes and to poor soil. It is used for rehabilitation, medicine, as a cover crop and for fodder. Its introduction to other countries has had an environmental and economic impact on them.
Mesembryanthemum crystallinum is a species of annual/perennial, succulent flowering plant in the "mesemb" genus of the Aizoaceae family.
Salicornia quinqueflora, synonym Sarcocornia quinqueflora, commonly known as beaded samphire, bead weed, beaded glasswort or glasswort, is a species of succulent halophytic coastal shrub. It occurs in wetter coastal areas of Australia and New Zealand.
A xerophyte is a species of plant that has adaptations to survive in an environment with little liquid water. Examples of xerophytes include cacti, pineapple and some gymnosperm plants. The morphology and physiology of xerophytes are adapted to conserve water during dry periods. Some species called resurrection plants can survive long periods of extreme dryness or desiccation of their tissues, during which their metabolic activity may effectively shut down. Plants with such morphological and physiological adaptations are said to be xeromorphic. Xerophytes such as cacti are capable of withstanding extended periods of dry conditions as they have deep-spreading roots and capacity to store water. Their waxy, thorny leaves prevent loss of moisture.
Chloris gayana is a species of grass known by the common name Rhodes grass. It is native to Africa but it can be found throughout the tropical and subtropical world as a naturalized species.
Sporobolus airoides is a species of grass known by the common name alkali sacaton. It is native to western North America, including the Western United States west of the Mississippi River, British Columbia and Alberta in Canada, and northern and central Mexico. It grows in many types of habitat, often in alkali soils, such as in California desert regions.
Batis maritima, the saltwort or beachwort, is a halophyte. It is a C3-plant, long-lived perennial, dioecious, succulent shrub. The plant forms dense colonies in salt marshes, brackish marshes, and mangrove swamps and frequently is found on the margins of saltpans and wind-tidal flats. Batis maritima is a pioneer plant, covers quickly areas where hurricanes have destroyed the natural vegetation.
Suaeda fruticosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae. It is a small shrub, with very variable appearance over its wide range. It is a halophyte, and occurs in arid and semi-arid saltflats, salt marshes and similar habitats.
Tetraena qatarensis is a salt-tolerant dwarf shrub that grows in the Arabian Peninsula. It has small compact leaves that store water. The leaflets grow in pairs and the flowers have four or five petals.
Caroxylon imbricatum, synonym Salsola imbricata, is a small species of shrub in the family Amaranthaceae. It grows in deserts and arid regions of north Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and southwestern Asia.
Arthrocaulon macrostachyum, synonym Arthrocnemum macrostachyum, is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family. It is native to coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea and parts of the Middle East, where it grows in coastal and inland salt marshes, alkali flats, and other habitats with saline soils.
Halocnemum strobilaceum is a species of flowering plant in the subfamily Salicornioideae of the family Amaranthaceae. It is native to coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea and parts of the Middle East and central Asia, where it grows in coastal and inland salt marshes, alkali flats, and other habitats with saline soils.
Cenchrus pennisetiformis, commonly known in Australia as the Cloncurry, white or slender buffel grass, is a species of grass in the genus Cenchrus. It is native to parts of East Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and the Indian subcontinent, and has been introduced to some other parts of the world as a drought-tolerant forage crop.
Crop tolerance to seawater is the ability of an agricultural crop to withstand the high salinity induced by irrigation with seawater, or a mixture of fresh water and seawater. There are crops that can grow on seawater and demonstration farms have shown the feasibility. The government of the Netherlands reports a breakthrough in food security as specific varieties of potatoes, carrots, red onions, white cabbage and broccoli appear to thrive if they are irrigated with salt water.
Sri Lanka exhibits a remarkable biological diversity and is considered to be the richest country in Asia in terms of species concentration.