Summary
Grass counts were moderate in Cape Town and Pretoria and trees counts are still high in Cape Town, where pine tree is dominant. Mean counts for Bloemfontein show that false olive is the dominant tree at this time of the year. Weed counts are low across South Africa and high mould levels occurred in Pretoria and Durban.
Cape Town
Grasses were moderate on days without rain or strong wind. Trees were high and included hackberry (Celtis), cypress (Cupressaceae), beech (Fagus), gum (Myrtaceae), Cape holly (Ilex), fever berry (Croton) mulberry (Moraceae), olive (Oleaceae). Pine (Pinaceae) and oak (Quercus). Pine was the dominant tree. Low weed concentrations included the daisy family (Asteraceae), goosefoot (Chenopodiaceae), sedges (Cyperaceae) and erica (Ericaceae), protea (Proteaceae) and nettles (Urticaceae). Moulds were low.
Johannesburg
The tree, grass and weed concentrations were low at this site. Trees included acacia (Acacia-type), birch (Betulus), false olive (Buddleia), sweetgum (Liquidamber), bushwillow (Combretaceae), gum (Myrtaceae), olive (Oleaceae), plane (Platanaceae), oak (Quercus), karee (Searsia), olive (Oleaceae), yellowwood (Podocarpaceae) and willow (Salicaceae). Weeds were pigweed (Amarantaceae), mugwort (Artemisia), slangbos (Stoebe-type) and nettles (Urticaceae). Moulds were low.
Pretoria
Grass Counts were moderate at this site. Trees were low and included false olive (Buddleia), bushwillow (Combretaceae), cypress (Cupressaceae), ebony (Ebenaceae), ash (Fraxinus), mulberry (Moraceae), waxberry (Morella), gum (Myrtaceae), olive (Oleaceae), pine (Pinaceae), yellowwood (Podocarpaceae), mesquite (Prosopis), oak (Quercus), polar (Populaceae), karee (Searsia) and elm (Ulmaceae). Low weed counts were the daisy family (Asteraceae), sedges (Cyperaceae), lily (Liliaceae), plantain (Plantaginaceae) and nightshade (Solanaceae). Moulds were high and increased by a strong peak for the allergenic mould Cladosporium.
Bloemfontein
The pollen strip could not be analysed at this site, so 5-year means are shown. Tree pollen is usually high at this time in October and could include false olive (Buddlea), pine (Pinaceae), yellowwood (Podocarpaceae), karee (Searsia), cypress (Cupressaceae), mulberry (Moraceae), birch (Betulus), poplar (Populaceae), Australian pine (Casuarina), pine (Pinaceae), olive (Oleaceae), mulberry (Moraceae), bushwillow (Combretaceae) and waxberry (Morella). Weeds would be the daisy family (Asteraceae), goosefoot (Chenopodiaceae), English plantain (Plantaginaceae) and sorrel (Rumex). Moulds would be low.
Kimberley
Tree, grass and weed pollen concentrations were low at this site. Trees included acacia (Acacia-type), birch (Betulus), waxberry (Morella), cypress (Cupressaceae). Hackberry (Celtis), gum (Myrtaceae), poplar (Populaceae), oak (Quercus) and karee (Searsia). Weeds were sedges (Cyperaceae), goosefoot (Cyperaceae) and plantain (Plantaginaceae) and grasses and moulds were low.
Durban
The pollen strip did not reach the laboratory so 5-year means are shown. Tree, grass and weed pollen is typically low, but varied at this time of the year. Tree pollen might include acacia (Acacia-type), birch (Betulus), Cypress (Cupressaceae), karee (Searsia), oak (Quercus), poplar (Populaceae), pecan (Carya), pine (Pinaceae), mulberry (Moraceae), waxberry (Morella), jacaranda (Fabaceae), Australian pine (Casuarina), ash (Fraxinus), gum (Myrtaceae), hackberry (Celtis) and bushwillow (Combretaceae). Weeds are likely to be sedges (Cyperaceae), spurges (Euphorbiaceae), goosefoot (Chenopodiaceae) and nettle (Urticaceae). Moulds are generally high.
Gqeberha
Exceptionally low pollen concentrations were seen at this sampling site. Trees were Casuarina (Australian pine), cedar (Cedrus) and weeds were sedges (Cyperaceae) and mezereum (Thymelaeaeceae). Moulds were low.
George
Extremely low pollen concentrations were seen at this site. No tree or grass pollen was detected. Weeds were sedges (Cyperaceae) and moulds were low.