ABSTRACT
Poaceae, represented by over 7500 species, inhabit the earth in greater numbers and have a greater range of climatic adaptation than any other plant family [1,2]. Therefore, it is not surprising that grasses show an extreme range in salinity tolerance, from salt-sensitive to extremely salt-tolerant (halophytic). Though turf-type grasses represent only a small percentage of the total grass species, they encompass the full range of salinity tolerance found within the family. Examples range from salt-sensitive (Poa annua-C3, Eremochloa ophiuroides-C4), moderately salt-sensitive (Lolium perenne-C3, Buchloë dactyloides-C4), moderately salt-tolerant (Agrostis stolonifera-C3, Zoysia japonica-C4), salt-tolerant (Cynodon spp.—C4), to highly salt-tolerant (Puccinellia spp.—C3, Paspalum vaginatum-C4) [3-6]. Turf-type species recognized as true halophytes ( thriving in full-strength seawater) include Distichlis spicata ssp. stricta and Sporobolus virginicus, both C4 grasses [7-10].
