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Ryegrass has a relatively high salt tolerance and is considered to be a promising species for both foraging and turf purposes in salt-affected soils in China. While annual ryegrass and perennial ryegrass are two different species, they have similar genomes. However, little is known about their physiological and molecular response mechanisms to salinity stress. Here, biomass, chlorophyll fluorescence, and inorganic ion and organic solute content were measured. 2-DE-based proteomic technology was then used to identify the differentially expressed proteins in the salt-treated seedlings. The results showed that salt stress reduced growth and photosynthesis in the seedlings of both species, but much more so in annual ryegrass. With increasing salinity, the Na+ concentration increased while the K+ concentration decreased in both species, and the sugars and proline increased as the primary organic solutes used to cope with osmotic stress. Additionally, proteomic analysis revealed 33 and 37 differentially expressed proteins in annual and perennial ryegrass, respectively. Most of the identified proteins were involved in carbohydrate and energy metabolism, photosynthesis, genetic information processes, amino acid metabolism, stress defense, and protein synthesis and folding. The results suggest that the two-ryegrass species had different physiological and proteomic responses. These findings can provide new insights into physiological mechanisms by which ryegrass species respond to salt stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]