Fig. 4

SEM analysis of the differences of the leaf epidermis between the ST and SS Zygophyllum species. Seedlings at the 10-leaf stage were treated with 150 mM NaCl for 24 h, after which their leaf epidermis was observed by SEM. Leaf epidermis of the ST species after treatment with 0 mM (a) and 150 mM NaCl (b). Leaf epidermis of the SS species after treatment with 0 mM (c) and 150 mM NaCl (d). Statistical analysis of the number of stomata (e) and the percentage of open stomata (f). Scale bars = 50 μm in (a-d). The values are the means ± SD from three replicates. Different letters indicate significant differences at P < 0.05 according to Duncan’s multiple range test. The absence of marked significance in e indicates that there were no significant differences between any of the groups