Abstract
Halophytes are a small group of higher plants. They represent about 1% of
the world’s flora. There is no unanimous consensus on a distinct definition of
halophytes. This is because of the taxonomic and ecological complexities of halophytes
as well as their heterogeneity. Some authors consider the salt content of the native
habitats to be the basis for the classification of halophytes. Others concentrated on the
response of plants to salinity. However, different basal halophyte classifications are
discussed in this chapter.
Keywords: Aero-haline, Aquatic-haline, Classification, Ecology, Flora, Halophytes, Heterogeneity, Taxonomy, Terrestro-haline, World.