Question

2. Plants which are adapted to grow in soils containing high concentration of salt are known as:

A. Xerophytes

B. Mesophytes

C. Halophytes

D. Thallophytes

Answer 1

Correct answer: Option C. halophytes

Xerophytes: these are the plants which are able to survive in dry or Ice /snow condition. They grow in very less concentration of water. For example: desert plants. The morphological adaptation in these plants is known as xeromorphic. Example: cactus

Mesophytes: These are plants which doesn't have adaptation against extreme higher and extreme low conditions. They grow on the middle range of environmental conditions. For example: meadow, which might contain goldenrod, clover, oxeye daisy, and Rosa multiflora.

Halophytes: these are the plants which have adaptation against high salt concentration which are present in soil. They have adaptation against salt.

These plants also occurs in saline semi-deserts, mangrove swamps, marshes and sloughs.

Approximately 2% of plant species are halophytes. For example: Spartina alterniflora.

Different plant species have different capacity against salt tolerance. Some of the plants have ability to tolerate high concentration of salt and some of the plants can tolerate salt concentration upto a particular level. For example beans and rice can tolerate 1-3 gm/l salt and Salicornia bigelovii have capacity to tolerate upto 70g/l salt.

Thallophytes: These are thalloid plant which have thallus like body organisation. This is a lower group of plant which doesn't have differentiated plant part like root, stem or leaf.