Anatomical changes in Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce seedlings growing at different levels of NaCl salinity

Seedlings of Prosopis cineraria were grown in artificial substrates with additions of 0, 50, 100, 200, 400 and 600 mM NaCl. At an NaCl concentration of 600 mM the germination was greatly hindered. At 400 mM the radicles scarcely emerged. An anatomical study of seedlings grown in the presence of 0-200 mM NaCl showed that salinity induced structural changes in the roots, hypocotyls, epicotyls and leaflets. The secondary xylem differentiated earlier in treated plants than in the controls especially in the root and epicotyl as salinity rose. This could be an adaptive strategy to facilitate water transport