Salinity and heavy metals in soil are causing decline in plant seed germination, development and growth. Phytoremediation is an eco-friendly approach for the rehabilitation of contaminated soil. Medicinal weeds can provide multifaceted benefits whenever used for phytoremediation. Morphological and physiological behavior is an adequate criterion to assess the ramification of stress.  A medicinal cucurbit weed Cucumis melo agrestis  L. was given exposure to a series of combined (NaCl and NiCl₂) levels i.e. Tc=control, T1=100mM NaCl+50uM NiCl₂, T2=400mM NaCl +50uM NiCl₂, T3=100mM NaCl+ 200uM NiCl_2, and T4=400mM NaCl+ 200uM NiCl₂. Germination percentage, root and shoot length, fresh and dry weight, Number of branches and leaf area index, Na⁺, K⁺, Ca⁺⁺, Cl^-, Ni+, chlorophyll a and b, total soluble sugars, proline, catalase and superoxide dismutase were evaluated. A positive response was being observed in low salt combined with low metal. Low salt level (100mM NaCl) moderated the adverse effects of high heavy metal (200uM NiCl₂) and low heavy metal (50uM NiCl₂) ameliorated the high salt complications (400mM NaCl) while high salt+ high metal (400mM NaCl+ 200uM NiCl₂) severely (p≤0.05) affected the C.melo agrestis. Growth factors like length of shoot, root, fresh and dry weight, branches, leaf area index, chlorophylls, Ca^++, and K⁺ were affected adversely at high salt+ high metal while some factors like free sugars, proline, antioxidants like superoxide dismutase and catalase, Na⁺ and Cl^- increased. C. melo agrestis has proved successful against combined stresses of salt and heavy metal in the present research and can be considered for low-cost phytoremediation of salt and heavy metals.

Index-terms; Salinity stress, Phytoremediation, Physiology, Cucumis, Combined  stress