Halophytes are the plants that grow on which one, among the following categories of soil?

Halophytes are specialized plants, often referred to as 'salt lovers,' that are biologically adapted to survive and thrive in saline soils and high-salinity environments [3]. While most common crops (glycophytes) suffer from stunted growth or death in salt-rich soils due to osmotic stress, halophytes possess unique physiological and biochemical mechanisms to manage high salt concentrations [4]. These adaptations include salt exclusion through roots, salt accumulation in vacuoles, or excretion via specialized salt glands [7]. They naturally inhabit diverse saline habitats such as coastal regions, salt marshes, mudflats, and inland deserts where salt accumulation occurs in the upper soil horizons [5]. Examples of halophytes include mangrove species, salt marsh grasses like Spartina alterniflora, and certain salt-tolerant crops like barley and sugar beet [3]. Their ability to maintain water uptake despite negative osmotic potential in the soil allows them to complete their life cycle in environments where salt solutions reach 200-500 mM [7].

Sources

1. [2] https://www.emnrd.nm.gov/spd/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/Halophytes_Feb2010_000.pdf
2. [3] Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 6: Environmental Degradation and Management > SalInISatIon. > p. 15
3. [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halophyte
4. [6] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7874743/
5. [7] Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 18: The Hot Desert and Mid-Latitude Desert Climate > Sample Objective Ouestions > p. 180
6. [1] Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 18: The Hot Desert and Mid-Latitude Desert Climate > Natural Vegetation > p. 176
7. [5] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 25: Agriculture > Salinization: r > p. 368