Abstract: Eight-week-old plants of Puccinellia tenuiflora (Griseb.) Scribn. et Merr. growing in pots filled with vermiculite were stressed by treating with 12.5–800 mmol/L solutions of neutral satt(NaC1) or basic salt(Na2CO3). Strain indexes such as relative growth rate etc. were determined. There was a significant difference between the two kinds of stresses. Maximum stress value that P. tenuiflora plants can tolerate is 60 mmol/L for the neutral salt and 200 mmol/L for the basic salt Na2CO3. Under NaCl-stress, great amount of proline accumulated, and citric acid content gradually decreased. But under Na2CO3-stress, proline content did not raise too much and citric acid content obviously increased with the increasing stress value. Under both stress conditions, Na+ content increased and K+ content decreased with the increasing stress value, but the effect of NaCl-stress on K+ content in roots and shoots was much less than that of Na2CO3-stress. In both stresses, the elevation of electrolyte leakage rate of leaf orchestrated with the change of stress value. This finding represented the only similarity among the strain indexes determined in both stresses.

Key words: Puccinellia tenuiflora, Saline stress, Alkaline stress, Strain