Morpho-Physiological Responses and Salinity Tolerance Mechanisms of Anabasis articulata (Forssk.)  Seedlings under NaCl Stress Gradient

Anabasis articulata (Forssk.) Moq. is a perennial halophyte widely distributed in the arid regions of North Africa, particularly in the Algerian Sahara, and in the Middle East. It plays an essential ecological role in combating desertification and stabilising dunes. This study explores its salt tolerance mechanisms through a rigorous experimental approach including seed collection, sandy substrate preparation, transplantation, and the application of a water regime inducing progressive salt stress (0 to 300 mM NaCl). Biometric and hydric analyses, subjected to statistical treatments, highlight exceptional resilience. Stress decreases leaf expansion (m = -0.03 ± 0.01cm²) and branch elongation (m = -1.32 ± 0.33cm), but the species compensates with architectural restructuring, tripling the number of branches at 150mM. A. articulata simultaneously maintains stable water homeostasis up to 300 mM, with a leaf water content (55.27 ± 0.71%) significantly higher than that of the roots and stems (P < 0.0001). This result confirms that the aquifer parenchyma plays the role of a water reservoir. By combining root growth stimulation (Y = 0.03168 X) with an adaptive succulence strategy, the plant demonstrates a remarkable ability to exploit sodium as an osmotic driver. These plasticity mechanisms make this taxon a crucial strategic element for the restoration of saline arid ecosystems in Algeria and worldwide.