Department of Botany, P.O. Box 1125/3900, Eldoret, Kenya
Grass and sedge halophytes form a major component of vegetation around Kenya's inland saline lakes, but their water relations and mineral metabolism have not been studied before. The electrical conductivity of the saturation soil extract (ECe) range from 0 to > 30 mmho/cm. The salinity induced a decrease in leaf diffusive resistance in S. spicatus, in the morning hours. It also induced an increase in the concentration of tissue sodium and chloride, but not potassium, calcium or magnesium in either halophyte. Total chlorophyll, free amino acids, proline, crude protein and soluble carbohydrate concentration in the plant tissues were affected by salinity. The discrimination against 13C in either halophyte increased in response to salinity.
