File:Spartina_alterniflora.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
halophyte
Sign in to saveAlso known as Salt-Tolerant Plant, salt-tolerant plants
thumb|250px|right|Spartina alterniflora ([[cordgrass), a halophyte.]]
~6 min read
Encyclopedic overview
10 sectionsContents
- Classification
- Habitats of halophytes
- Salt tolerance
- Examples
- Uses
- Biofuel
- Phytoremediation
- See also
- References
- External links
thumb|250px|right|Spartina alterniflora ([[cordgrass), a halophyte.]]
A halophyte is a salt-tolerant plant that grows in soil or waters of high salinity, coming into contact with saline water through its roots or by salt spray, such as in saline semi-deserts, mangrove swamps, marshes and sloughs, and seashores. The word derives from Ancient Greek ἅλας (halas) 'salt' and φυτόν (phyton) 'plant'. Halophytes have different anatomy, physiology and biochemistry than glycophytes. An example of a halophyte is the salt marsh grass Spartina alterniflora (smooth cordgrass). Relatively few plant species are halophytes—perhaps only 2% of all plant species.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “halophyte” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.