ABSTRACT
Metallophytes are a group of specialized plants that can grow in heavy metal (HM) contaminated soils. They have one or more morphological, anatomical as well as biochemical features, which render them to grow in HM polluted sites. Broadly, metallophytes are categorized into two types; one which accumulates the HM in their different parts and others which avoid the high concentration of HM in soil. Former groups so-called, ‘hyperaccumulators’ are true metallophytes in the strict sense because they can extract and accumulate various HMs in their structure without any damage. To do so, they have specialized mechanisms evolved as a result of millions of years of co-evolution of ecotype in the HM polluted sites. In this chapter, the source of HM in the soils, their types along metallophytes of different HMs are listed. The underlying mechanisms of both the types of metallophytes and their bioprospection are discussed in detail.
