**Seawater Irriculture Discipline, Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute, Bhavnagar-364002
Department of Botany, Sir P. P. Institute of Science, Bhamagar University, Bhamagar, 364 002.
*Part of senior author's Ph.D. thesis approved by Saurashtra University.
Effect of natural sea water of different strength on germination of Salicornia brachiata, a tropical salt marsh halophyte were studied. The seeds germinated even in 36,000 ppm sea water. The rate of germination and percentage germination decreased with increased salinity. In iso-osmotic solution of 4.5 atm maximum germination was noted in NaCl. 15 day old seedlings grown in non-saline and salinized media were analysed for mineral ions and amino acids composition- More accumulation of Na and Cl was observed in seedlings grown in diluted sea water than those grown only in distilled water. Noticeable decrease in concentration of some free amino acids viz. glutamic acid, alanine and serine was observed, while accumulation of aspartic acid and glycine increased in seedlings grown in salinized medium. Tikis study indicates that salt tolerance of S- brachiata is more than any other species of Salicornia.
