Abstract
The plant material (fresh and older leaves and mature capsules) from variously aged trees of T. populnea growing in and around Karachi (Hawkes Bay, Boat Basin areas, Karsaz and North Nazimabad) in differentially saline soils were collected. In these samples, Na and K were extracted by acid digestion method of dry young and older leaves, and fruit components such as pericarp, seed coat and embryo. Cations, Na and K, were estimated using Petra court PFP-Flame photometer. Over a range of ECe - 7.7 to 64.7dS.m-1 , Na content increased in fresh and older leaves and pericarp significantly but didn’t vary in concentration in seed coat and embryo. K contents in leaves and pericarp declined with salinity but didn’t change in seed coat and embryo. There was large accumulation of Na in older leaves. K increased in pericarp. Na / K ratio didn’t vary in seed components but it was very high (8.2-folds) in older leaves. A significantly positive relationship between monounsaturated fatty acids concentration and foliar concentration of Na in fresh and old leaves was found.
