Cadmium tolerance and accumulation by two species of Iris

Seedlings of Iris lactea var. chinensis (Fisch.) Koidz. and I. tectorum Maxim. were subjected to 0-160 mg l(-1) Cd in hydroponic system and harvested after 42 days to determine effects on root and shoot dry mass. A subset of 16-day-old seedlings was exposed to 1000 mg l(-1) Cd to characterize sub-cellular localization of Cd in root cells. The Cd contents in the shoots of I. lactea var. chinensis reached 529 microg g(-1 )dry weight (dw) at 80 mg l(-1) Cd treatment and in the shoots of I. tectorum reached 232 microg g(-1) dw at 40 mg l(-1) Cd treatment, without showing signs of visible toxicity. The Cd contents in the shoots of both two test species exceeded 100 microg g(-1), the critical value of Cd hyperaccumulator. The indices of tolerance (ITs) of I. lactea var. chinensis were higher than those of I. tectorum under 10-160 mg l(-1)Cd stress. Sub-cellular localization of Cd in root cells was evaluated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Cd deposits were found in the cell walls, in the cytoplasm and on the inner surface of xylem vessels in the root tip of I. lactea var. chinensis and I. tectorum. A few cells in the root tip of I. tectorum were necrotic. The results showed that the tolerance and accumulation of Cd by I. lactea var. chinensis were higher than those of I. tectorum, suggesting that I. lactea var. chinensis has potential application in phytoremediation.