【Objective】Acid sulfate soil is a type of soil developed from the parent material of reducing sulfide and is described as “the nastiest soils in the world” because of its strong acidity and poor plant growth. Acid sulfate soils are mainly distributed along the seacoast of tropical and subtropical regions, wherein the climate is though very suitable for growth of most crops, especially rice (Oryza sativa L.) because of their abundant water and heat resources, it is very hard to bring the production potential of rice into full play, due to their poor soil properties, such as acid threats, metal toxicity and nutrient deficiency. Plants, the same in family, but different in species or variety, vary significantly in capability to adapt to stress soils. Although most crop plants cannot grow in acid sulfate soils, some native plants can do very well. The objective of this study is to screen out rice cultivars that are capable to adapt to acid sulfate soils, and further to explore their underlying mechanisms. 【Method】A total of 240 varieties of rice were planted in acid sulfate soil (pH 3.69) in Taishan City, Guangdong Province, China, and were managed as the local farmer do their crops. None met the target of economic yield. However, accidentally two species of wild plants, identified morphologically and molecularly as Eleocharis kuroguwai and Fimbristylis quinquangularis, were found growing flourishingly in the soil. During the rice harvest season, samples of the rice plants, wild plants, and their rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils were collected for analysis of soil chemical properties (pH, exchangeable Al, and available Mn) and contents of 10 elements (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Na, Al, Fe, and Mn) in the roots and shoots. 【Result】 It was found that variation of soil chemical properties such as pH, exchangeable Al and available Mn, in rhizosphere could not explain the difference between the two wild plants and the rice plants in tolerance and that Mn toxicity and N deficiency were not the key factors that limited growth of the plants. Instead, the contents of mineral elements in the plant shoots were found to be closely related to the difference between the rice plants and the wild plants in tolerance. The rice plants accumulated more Al and Fe, but less nutrients (P, K, Ca, Mg, and S) in the shoots than the two wild plants. Little difference was observed in contents of most mineral elements in roots between the plants. Moreover, the Al and Fe contents in the shoot of E. kuroguwai were low, which explains its tolerance to Al and Fe toxicity through exclusion mechanism, while the Al and Fe contents in the shoot of F. quinquangularis were high, which explains its resistance to Al and Fe toxicity through internal tolerance mechanism. 【Conclusion】Al toxicity, Fe toxicity and poor nutrient uptake are the main factors leading to poor growth of rice in acid sulfate soils. In contrast, the two wild plants E. kuroguwai and F. quinquangularis can grow well in the soils thanks to their strong ability to resist Al and Fe toxicity and to take up nutrients. Mn toxicity and N deficiency may not be involved in the difference between the rice plants and the wild plants in adaptability to acid sulfate soils. It is, therefore, suggested that to improve Al and Fe tolerance and nutrient uptake are two approaches key to developing crop productivity potential in acid sulfate soils, which can be achieved through soil management and variety breeding.