Fig. 1.

Quinoa is a salt-tolerant underutilized crop. (A) Panicle of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd. cv. Titicaca). (B–E) Leaves and stems of quinoa are covered with bladder cells, which are specialized trichomes into which salt is secreted. (B and C) Top view of a leaf. The surface is coated with numerous large bladders, visible under a (B) light microscope and (C) scanning electron microscope, where epidermal cells can be seen. (D) Side view of bladder cells. (E) Enlarged bladder complex consisting of an epidermal cell, stalk cell (marked by an arrowhead), and bladder cell. The salt concentration is expected to gradually increase from epidermal cells to bladder cell vacuoles.