Abstract
Salt grass is an important pioneer plant in early stages of succession. The sharp‐pointed rhizomes with numerous epidermal silica cells, and the aerenchymatous network of the rhizome, leaf sheath, and roots facilitate development of the plant in heavy clays, shales, and inundated soils. In salt marshes of southern Utah, salt grass contributes to a hummock‐building process that favors localized removal of salts by capillary action and evaporation. This process provides a narrow strip of soil that is favorable for the rooting of extended rhizomes. In laboratory experiments, maximum growth for Distichlis spicata , a perennial salt marsh grass, was obtained at 15,000 ppm soluble salts in nutrient solution cultures. Comparable concentrations of salts occurred in soils of the habitat from which plants were taken. Nearly equal concentrations of sodium and potassium were found in the plant tissue where the growth of the plants was optimal; such a ratio was maintained in the plants during most of the growing season. In the field the greatest amount of growth of salt grass takes place when temperatures are cool and soil moisture is quite high during the early spring. During mid‐summer as air temperatures rise, crude protein in the plant decreases. During periods of high salt and water stress, morphological and anatomical adaptations of the stomata, salt glands, and trichomes of salt grass are important for survival. Stomata on exposed ridges of vascular bundles, where desiccation is greatest, usually are covered by four epidermal cells. In contrast, stomata found in the grooves between vascular bundles tend to be uncovered. The salt gland is composed of a large basal cell and a cap cell and actively excretes (in a diurnal rhythm) excess sodium, potassium, and chloride ions. A mechanism for salt excretion from this gland is postulated. The silica‐containing trichomes on the leaves may play a role in cooling the leaf under conditions of high solar radiation and also serve to protect the plant against attack by herbivores.
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Claims 15
Claim · model-written summary
Rhizome structure and aerenchyma facilitate salt grass development in heavy and inundated soils.
- Taxon
- DISTICHLIS SPICATA
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Distichlis spicatat0 - Organ / stage
- rhizome, leaf sheath, and rootse0
- Outcome
- developmente0
- Qualifier
- aerenchymatous networke0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“The sharp‐pointed rhizomes with numerous epidermal silica cells, and the aerenchymatous network of the rhizome, leaf sheath, and roots facilitate development of the plant in heavy clays, shales, and inundated soils.”
t0“DISTICHLIS SPICATA”
Claim · model-written summary
Salt grass contributes to hummock formation favoring localized salt removal in southern Utah.
- Taxon
- salt grassDistichlis spicatae0
- Outcome
- localized removal of saltse0
- Qualifier
- capillary action and evaporatione0
- Setting
- southern Utahe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In salt marshes of southern Utah, salt grass contributes to a hummock‐building process that favors localized removal of salts by capillary action and evaporation.”
Claim · model-written summary
Hummock formation provides soil favorable for extended rhizome rooting.
- Taxon
- DISTICHLIS SPICATADistichlis spicatat0
- Organ / stage
- extended rhizomese0
- Outcome
- rootinge0
- Qualifier
- a narrow strip of soile0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This process provides a narrow strip of soil that is favorable for the rooting of extended rhizomes.”
t0“DISTICHLIS SPICATA”
Claim · model-written summary
Distichlis spicata achieved maximum laboratory growth at 15,000 ppm soluble salts.
- Taxon
- Distichlis spicataDistichlis spicatae0
- Treatment
- 15,000 ppm soluble saltse0
- Outcome
- growthe0
- Direction
- maximume0
- Value
- 15,000 ppme0
- Setting
- laboratorye0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In laboratory experiments, maximum growth for Distichlis spicata , a perennial salt marsh grass, was obtained at 15,000 ppm soluble salts in nutrient solution cultures.”
Claim · model-written summary
Habitat soils had salt concentrations comparable to those supporting maximum growth.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Comparable concentrations of salts occurred in soils of the habitat from which plants were taken.”
Claim · model-written summary
Salt grass tissue contained nearly equal sodium and potassium concentrations at optimal growth, maintained through most of the growing season.
- Taxon
- DISTICHLIS SPICATADistichlis spicatat0
- Outcome
- concentrations of sodium and potassiume0
- Direction
- Nearly equale0
- Qualifier
- during most of the growing seasone0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Nearly equal concentrations of sodium and potassium were found in the plant tissue where the growth of the plants was optimal; such a ratio was maintained in the plants during most of the growing season.”
t0“DISTICHLIS SPICATA”
Claim · model-written summary
Salt grass growth is greatest under cool temperatures and high soil moisture in early spring.
- Taxon
- salt grassDistichlis spicatae0
- Treatment
- temperatures are cool and soil moisture is quite highe0
- Outcome
- growthe0
- Direction
- greateste0
- Qualifier
- early springe0
- Setting
- fielde0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In the field the greatest amount of growth of salt grass takes place when temperatures are cool and soil moisture is quite high during the early spring.”
Claim · model-written summary
Crude protein decreases as air temperatures rise in midsummer.
- Taxon
- DISTICHLIS SPICATADistichlis spicatat0
- Treatment
- air temperatures risee0
- Outcome
- crude proteine0
- Direction
- decreasese0
- Qualifier
- During mid‐summere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“During mid‐summer as air temperatures rise, crude protein in the plant decreases.”
t0“DISTICHLIS SPICATA”
Claim · model-written summary
Stomatal, salt gland and trichome adaptations are important for survival under salt and water stress.
- Taxon
- salt grassDistichlis spicatae0
- Organ / stage
- stomata, salt glands, and trichomese0
- Treatment
- high salt and water stresse0
- Outcome
- survivale0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“During periods of high salt and water stress, morphological and anatomical adaptations of the stomata, salt glands, and trichomes of salt grass are important for survival.”
Claim · model-written summary
Exposed-ridge stomata usually have four covering epidermal cells.
- Taxon
- DISTICHLIS SPICATADistichlis spicatat0
- Organ / stage
- Stomatae0
- Outcome
- covered by four epidermal cellse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Stomata on exposed ridges of vascular bundles, where desiccation is greatest, usually are covered by four epidermal cells.”
t0“DISTICHLIS SPICATA”
Claim · model-written summary
Stomata in vascular-bundle grooves tend to be uncovered.
- Taxon
- DISTICHLIS SPICATADistichlis spicatat0
- Organ / stage
- stomatae0
- Outcome
- uncoverede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In contrast, stomata found in the grooves between vascular bundles tend to be uncovered.”
t0“DISTICHLIS SPICATA”
Claim · model-written summary
Salt glands comprise a large basal cell and a cap cell.
- Taxon
- DISTICHLIS SPICATADistichlis spicatat0
- Organ / stage
- salt glande0
- Outcome
- a large basal cell and a cap celle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The salt gland is composed of a large basal cell and a cap cell and actively excretes (in a diurnal rhythm) excess sodium, potassium, and chloride ions.”
t0“DISTICHLIS SPICATA”
Claim · model-written summary
Salt glands actively excrete excess sodium, potassium and chloride ions in a diurnal rhythm.
- Taxon
- DISTICHLIS SPICATADistichlis spicatat0
- Organ / stage
- salt glande0
- Outcome
- excretes (in a diurnal rhythm) excess sodium, potassium, and chloride ionse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The salt gland is composed of a large basal cell and a cap cell and actively excretes (in a diurnal rhythm) excess sodium, potassium, and chloride ions.”
t0“DISTICHLIS SPICATA”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf silica-containing trichomes may cool the leaf under high solar radiation.
- Taxon
- DISTICHLIS SPICATADistichlis spicatat0
- Organ / stage
- trichomese0
- Outcome
- cooling the leafe0
- Qualifier
- under conditions of high solar radiatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The silica‐containing trichomes on the leaves may play a role in cooling the leaf under conditions of high solar radiation and also serve to protect the plant against attack by herbivores.”
t0“DISTICHLIS SPICATA”
Claim · model-written summary
Silica-containing trichomes protect salt grass against herbivore attack.
- Taxon
- DISTICHLIS SPICATADistichlis spicatat0
- Organ / stage
- trichomese0
- Interactor
- herbivorese0herbivore
- Outcome
- protect the plant against attack by herbivorese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The silica‐containing trichomes on the leaves may play a role in cooling the leaf under conditions of high solar radiation and also serve to protect the plant against attack by herbivores.”
t0“DISTICHLIS SPICATA”
The same questions in other papers
salinity · growth · Distichlis spicata (saltgrass)Positive and negative results
3 papers in the same direction as this paper · 5 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- negative
- negative
5 papers more in this group
See all 9 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.