Wood anatomy of some dwarf halophyte shrubs in Turkey: Ecological implication

There are many plant species of shrubs and dwarf shrubs that spread in salt steppes and sandy areas in Turkey. In this study, the wood anatomical characteristics of five dwarf halophyte shrubs which grow naturally in Igdir and Konya were investigated; Calligonum polygonoides L. (Polygonaceae); Atriplex portulacoides L., Noaea mucronata (Forssk.) Asch. & Schweinf subsp. mucronata (Amaranthaceae); Reaumuria alternifolia (Labill.) Britten (Tamaricaceae); Frankenia hirsuta L. (Frankeniaceae). Quantitative (tangential and radial vessel diameter, number of vessels per mm(2), vessel element length, fibres sizes, ray width and height, number of rays per 1 mm) and qualitative wood characteristics (growth rings, vessel grouping, helical thickening, type of perforation plate, presence of vasicentric and vascular tracheids, axial parenchyma and crystals) were identified. Wood anatomical characteristics of Calligonum polygonoides, Reaumuria alternifolia have been examined in this study for the first time. It is emphasized that vessel dimorphism, vessel grouping, more numerous vessel, short vessel elements, presence of tracheids and helical thickening provide increase safety rather than efficiency in the conductive system in drought taxa. All these important ecological wood characteristics, including successive cambia, and various adaptive structures can provide advantages to halophyte plants in dry and saline environments.This study was financed by the Artvin coruh University Scientific Research Projects Unit with the project numbered as 2013.F10.01.02