Anatomical structure and ecological adaptability of two kinds of halophytes(Haloxylon ammondendron Chenopodiaceae and Tamarix ramosissima Amaranthaceae)

A study on the anatomy of the photosynthetic organs of two kinds of desert halophytes,Haloxylon ammodendron and Tamarix ramosissima,combined with an analysis of the the soil water content in the study area,in three different habitats was performed. The results show that Haloxylon ammodendron functions as a typical super-xerophilic salt-dilution halophyte,and that the photosynthetic assimilation shoot contains water storage parenchyma; in addition,the palisades mesophyll of the assimilation shoot contained abundant chloroplasts. These traits of Haloxylon ammodendron combine to allow it to function at a high photosynthetic efficiency,which allows it to better survive drought and salinization. In comparison,Tamarix ramosissima is a kind of drought and recretohalophyte with sunken stomata and salt glands on its assimilation shoots and leaves. The vascular traces were measured to reach more than 60 percent of its assimilation shoot cells,and its leaves are total palisade. There are protuberances on the epidermal cells of its assimilation shoot and the leaves which assist in deflecting light (deictic structures). Although most studies show a high degree of relation between the two families Amaranthaceae and Chenopodiaceae,the two species examined in this study show a vastly different approach to how they tolerate both drought and saline soils in their environments.