Abstract: Many wetlands are currently faced with the problems of heavy metal pollution and salinization. It is important to use wetland plants to remediate these damaged wetlands, to increase the yield of sea rice, and to reduce the accumulation of toxic metals in rice grains. Wetland plants (including rice) develop various strategies and mechanisms to withstand environmental stresses. Their root system has high plasticity. The root morphology and anatomical structure can change with environmental conditions, which directly affect their adaptability to environmental stresses. In recent years, many studies examined root morphology, structure and oxygen secretion of wetland plants, and their relationships with the uptake, accumulation and tolerance of salts and heavy metals. Here, we reviewed the relationships between root morphology, apoplastic barrier, aerenchyma and oxygen secretion of wetland plants and their uptake, accumulation and tolerance to salts and heavy metals. We further prospected the future development of this field.

Key words: root morphology, anatomical structure, salt, heavy metal, tolerance.