Summary
Significant pollen counts were seen in Cape Town, with moderate levels of trees, weeds, and grasses recorded. Pollen levels in the rest of South Africa were low, except in Pretoria where moderate tree levels were detected. Fungal spore counts were moderate in Durban, but low elsewhere.
Cape Town
Grass, tree, and weed counts were moderate. Tree pollen included the sumac family (Anacardiaceae), the monkey puzzle family (Araucariaceae), cypress (Cupressaceae), beech (Fagus sp.), gum (Myrtaceae), mulberry (Moraceae), olive (Oleaceae), pine (Pinaceae), plane (Platanus sp.) and yellowwood (Podocarpaceae). The weeds detected were the daisy family (Asteraceae), sedges (Cyperaceae), plantain (Plantaginaceae), the rose family (Rosaceae), mezereum (Thymelaeaceae), bulrush (Typhaceae) and nettles (Urticaceae). Moulds were not significant.
Calvinia
Low pollen counts were recorded for trees, grasses, and weeds. Tree pollen detected included mesquite (Prosopis sp.), gum (Myrtaceae), karee (Rhus/Searsia sp.), pecan (Carya spp.), and Australian pine (Casuarina sp.). Weeds included mezereum (Thymelaeaceae), the daisy family (Asteraceae), the carnation family (Caryophyllaceae), buckwheat (Polygonaceae), and figworts (Scrophulariaceae). Moulds were very low with a small spike following rain for the fungal spore, Alternaria.
Johannesburg
Technical issues at this site meant new data were available, so the results from last week are repeated here. All pollen categories (trees, weeds, grasses) were very low, as were moulds. The tree pollen types detected were bushwillow (Combretaceae), gum (Myrtaceae), plane (Platanus sp.), poplar (Populus sp.), karee (Rhus/Searsia sp.) and elm (Ulmaceae). Only sedges (Cyperaceae) were detected in the weed pollen category.
Pretoria
Moderate tree counts, low grass counts, and very low weed pollen counts were recorded. The trees present were acacia (Acacia sp.), birch (Betulaceae), hackberry (Celtis sp.), bushwillow (Combretaceae), cypress (Cupressaceae), mulberry (Moraceae), pine (Pinaceae), oak (Quercus sp.) and gum (Myrtaceae). Weeds included ragweed (Ambrosia sp.), mugwort (Artemisia sp.), the daisy family (Asteraceae), sedges (Cyperaceae), the carnation family (Caryophyllaceae), goosefoot (Chenopodiaceae), and erica (Ericaceae). Fungal spores were low.
Bloemfontein
Low tree and weed counts, with very low fungal spore and grass counts, were seen during this sampling period. The tree pollen detected included (Acacia sp.), false olive (Buddleja sp.), mulberry (Moraceae), olive (Oleaceae), gum (Myrtaceae), and karee (Rhus/Searsia sp.). Weeds were from pigmyweeds (Crassulaceae), the daisy family (Asteraceae), goosefoot (Chenopodiaceae), sedges (Cyperaceae), plantain (Plantaginaceae) and nettles (Urticaceae).
Kimberley
Pollen counts were low. Trees identified were the sumac family (Anacardiaceae), gum (Myrtaceae), mesquite (Prosopis sp.), and olive (Oleaceae). Weeds were buckwheat (Polygonaceae), nettles (Urticaceae), the carnation family (Caryophyllaceae), knotweed (Persicaria sp.) bulrush (Typhaceae), and mezereum (Thymelaeaceae). Grasses and moulds were low.
Durban
Tree, grass and weed pollen levels were consistently low at this site. Tree pollen detected included pecan (Carya sp.), acacia-type (Acacia sp.), mulberry (Moraceae), and karee (Rhus/Searsia sp.). Weeds were mezereum (Thymelaeaceae), buckwheat (Polygonaceae), sedges (Cyperaceae), and the daisy family (Asteraceae). Moulds were moderate but decreased to low levels at the end of this sampling week due to rain.
Gqeberha
Very low levels of grass, weeds, trees, and fungal spores were observed. Pine (Pinaceae) and karee (Rhus/Searsia sp.) were the only tree pollen types detected. Weeds included pigweed (Amaranthus sp.), the daisy family (Asteraceae), goosefoot (Chenopodiaceae), sedges (Cyperaceae), and mezereum (Thymelaeaceae).
