Cape Town
The spore trap has been repaired and findings will be available from next week. Values given are based on archived data from the last decade. Trees present in the air during the second week in October are birch, cypress, gum, oak, olive, white stinkwood, pine, plane and yellowwood. Erica, the daisy family and goosefoot and sorrel are the weeds commonly seen. Grass levels are moderate and moulds are low.
Johannesburg
Tree levels were low but acacia, birch, bush willow, cypress, ash, jacaranda, white mulberry, gum, olive, pine, yellowwood, Searsia/Rhus, plane and oak were detected. Weed levels were low and included Caryophyllaceae, the pinks and carnation family, goosefoot, the daisy family, lilies, English Plantain, ferns and Euphorbia. Grasses were very low. Moulds were low but some small but insignificant spikes for Cladosporium were detected.
Pretoria
Tree pollen was low but varied and included the types: birch, Buddleia, pine, Rhus/Searsia, white mulberry and yellowwood. Grass pollen was low. Low weed levels were detected and these included Euphorbia, goosefoot and sedges. Moulds increased strongly after rain and significant levels were detected for the allergenic spore Cladosporium.
Bloemfontein
Tree pollen levels were moderate to high as Buddleia, pine, yellowwood, plane, Rhus/Searsia, cypress, white mulberry, birch, poplar, and Casuarina continued to flower. Grasses were low as were weeds and only the daisy family was detected. Moulds were low but small spikes for the allergenic fungal spore Cladosporium occurred after rain.
Kimberley
Tree levels were low but with variation of types. Birch, Buddleia, cypress, chestnut, gum, olive, pecan, Rhus/Searsia, willow and yellowwood were detected. Weed levels were low and only Parietaria, or pellitory-of-the-wall and Ranunculus (Persian buttercup) were detected. Grasses were low as were moulds.
Durban
Tree levels were low but many types were detected and these included: Acacia, birch, cypress, Rhus/Searsia, oak, poplar, pecan, pine, white mulberry, waxberry, jacaranda and Casuarina. Weeds were low and included sedges and Euphorbia. Moulds were very high as high levels were detected for the allergenic fungal spores Epicoccum and Cladosporium.
Gqeberha
Tree pollen was low and the types detected were waxberry, olive and pine. Low weed levels included the daisy family, sedges, Caryophyllaceae, the pinks and carnation family and Euphorbia. Grasses were low. Moulds were low but a spike for Pleospora, the wet air spore was seen during this sampling week.
