Anatomical Characteristics of Sesuvium portulacastrum (L.) L. and Their Possible Relevance and Relationship with Phenotypic Plasticity

Abstract

Plant species are subject to a wide variety of ecological factors that occur under natural conditions (freezing, flooding, salinity, heat, dryness, etc.), some of these species are capable of tolerating them and thus perpetuate themselves in those environments. Sesuvium portlacastrum is a cosmopolitan species belonging to the Aizoaceae family. It is a perennial herb that naturally lives in sandy, saline or non-saline coastal environments and disturbed areas that have flooded, clayey and/or salty soils. This possibility to vegetate under these conditions is related to the anatomical characteristics of leaves and stems, especially the presence of epidermal cells and water-reserving parenchyma. These characteristics allow this species to show a certain phenotypic plasticity, which is related to the possibility of regulating the concentration of solutes absorbed in excess.