Abstract

In order to evaluate the degree of adaptation of urban Citrus aurantium L. trees to osmotic stress and to explore the effect of seed’s origin on stress tolerance/adaptation, catalase activity levels were measured. Before carrying out the analysis, seedlings issued from high and low plant mother’s vitality were grown on NaCl stressed media during 2 months. Catalase activities revealed different levels according to cities, plant mother vitality and salt dose. It increased in stressed medium for the same seedlings origin. Thus, tissues superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity seems to be initiated on plant mother trees and seedlings behaviour is correlated with seed formation environment.

Key words: Seedlings, origin, urban trees, salt stress, catalase.