The effects of decreasing Ca2+ concentrations (Na/Ca ratios were 24, 49, 99 and 199) of the saline growth medium (NaCl concentration 200 mM) on three grass species Cenchrus pennisetiformis Hochst. & Steud., Leptochloa fusca L. Kunth. and Panicum turgidum Forssk. were assessed after 7 weeks growth in sand culture. L. fusca produced the highest dry biomass of all the species at varying Na/Ca ratios. Number of tillers per plant and number of green leaves per tiller were reduced significantly only in C. pennisetiformis. Leaf water potential of C pennisetiformis decreased at all external Na/Ca ratios, whereas in L. fusca it decreased only at an Na/Ca ratio of 99. Leaf osmotic potential of L. fusca consistently decreased at all Na/Ca ratios, whereas that of the other two species remained unchanged. The shoot and root total sugars of all species remained unaffected at all decreasing Ca2+ concentrations. In P. turgidum chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll decreased consistently at all Na/Ca ratios, but in L. fusca they decreased only at the highest Na/Ca ratios. The leaf soluble proteins of all the species remained unaffected at all Na/Ca ratios. The leaf free amino acids decreased significantly in L. fusca with the increase in Na/Ca ratios. The leaf proline content was only decreased in L. fusca at the highest Na/Ca ratio. The significant correlations between the growth of the three grass species and other variables determined in this study were not found.