ELEMENTAL DISTRIBUTION IN SEEDS OF THE HALOPHYTES SALICORNIA PACIFICA VAR. UTAHENSIS AND ATRIPLEX CANESCENS

Little information is available on the distribution of ions in seeds of halophytes. Seeds of two halophytes, Salicornia pacifica var. utahensis (Tidestrom) Munz, a desert salt playa type, and Atriplex canescens (Pursh) Nutt., a desert shrub, were analyzed by energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis. The relative ion concentration in three regions, the seed coat, endosperm, and embryo, were determined. The total relative concentration of elements was higher in seeds of S. pacifica var. utahensis as compared to A. canescens. The seed coats of S. pacifica var. utahensis contained the highest counts of sodium, chlorine, potassium, and calcium, whereas the embryo and endorsperm were both high in phosophorus. In A. canescens, sodium and chlorine were very low in all three tissues. The embryo contained the major amount of phosphorus, although potassium was high in both the seed coat and the embryo. These results support the concept of ion compartmentalization in the seeds of these two halophytes.