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Recent research on the photosynthetic mechanisms of plant species in the Chenopodiaceae family revealed that three species, including Bienertia sinuspersici, can carry out C₄ photosynthesis within individual photosynthetic cells, through the development of two cytoplasmic domains having dimorphic chloroplasts. These unusual single-cell C₄ species grow in semi-arid saline conditions and have semi-terete succulent leaves. The effects of salinity on growth and photosynthesis of B. sinuspersici were studied. The results show that NaCl is not required for development of the single-cell C₄ system. There is a large enhancement of growth in culture with 50–200 mM NaCl, while there is severe inhibition at 400 mM NaCl. With increasing salinity, the carbon isotope values (δ¹³C) of leaves increased from −17.3^o/_oo (C₄-like) without NaCl to −14.6^o/_oo (C₄) with 200 mM NaCl, possibly due to increased capture …