Summary
High to very high tree counts were again seen across most of South Africa. This includes the cities of Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Kimberley (moderate to high). Weed counts were very high in Calvinia, but remained low in the rest of the country. Fungal spore counts in Durban was moderate.
Cape Town
High tree counts with low grass and weed counts were seen during this sampling period. The dominant tree pollen was cypress (Cupressaceae), with birch (Betulaceae), cedar (Cedrus sp.), ash (Fraxinus sp.), mulberry (Moraceae), gum (Myrtaceae), pine (Pinaceae), plane (Platanus sp.) and oak (Quercus sp.) also detected. Weed pollen included the daisy family (Asteraceae), goosefoot (Chenopodiaceae), sedges (Cyperaceae), proteas (Proteaceae), ferns (Polypodiaceae) and nettles (Urticaceae). Fungal spore counts were low.
Calvinia
Very high weed pollen counts were seen due to elevated mugwort (Artemisia sp.) levels. Other weed pollen included the daisy family (Asteraceae), the cabbage family (Brassicaceae), goosefoot (Chenopodiaceae) and nettles (Urticaceae). Moderate tree counts included elevated hackberry (Celtis sp.) and mesquite (Prosopis sp.), as well as pollen from the sumac family (Anacardiaceae), cypress (Cupressaceae), olive (Oleaceae) and pine (Pinaceae). Moulds were very low.
Johannesburg
Very high tree counts were detected due to very high plane (Platanus sp.) pollen counts, as well as elevated levels of cypress (Cupressaceae), mulberry (Moraceae), hackberry (Celtis sp.) and elm (Ulmaceae). Other tree pollen seen were palm (Arecaceae), birch (Betulaceae), Australian pine (Casuarina sp.), ash (Fraxinus sp.), gum (Myrtaceae), olive (Oleaceae), pine (Pinaceae), yellowwood (Podocarpaceae) and oak (Quercus sp.). Low weed counts included pigweed (Amaranthus sp.), mugwort (Artemisia sp.), the daisy family (Asteraceae), spurges (Euphorbiaceae) and ferns (Polypodiaceae). Grass and fungal spore levels were low.
Pretoria
Very high tree counts were detected, due to elevated levels of birch (Betulaceae), mulberry (Moraceae), plane (Platanus sp.) and cypress (Cupressaceae) pollen. Other trees detected were ash (Fraxinus sp.), pine (Pinaceae), poplar (Populus sp.), oak (Quercus sp.), karee (Rhus/Searsia sp.) and willow (Salix sp.). Low weed counts included only the carnation family (Caryophyllaceae) and slangbos (Stoebe-type). Fungal spore counts were very low.
Bloemfontein
High tree counts and low weed counts were seen at this site. The major tree pollen detected was poplar (Populus sp.), pine (Pinaceae), mulberry (Moraceae) and cypress (Cupressaceae), with lower levels of waxberry (Myricaceae), olive (Oleaceae) and plane (Platanus sp.) detected. Weeds included the daisy family (Asteraceae), goosefoot (Chenopodiaceae) and pigmyweeds (Crassulaceae). No grass pollen was detected and mould counts were low.
Kimberley
Moderate to high tree counts with low weed and grass counts were recorded. Tree pollen included elevated birch (Betulaceae) and cypress (Cupressaceae) levels, with lower counts of bushwillow (Combretaceae), ash (Fraxinus sp.), mulberry (Moraceae), gum (Myrtaceae), pine (Pinaceae), plane (Platanus sp.), poplar (Populus sp.) and oak (Quercus sp.) and willow (Salix sp.). The weeds detected were ragweed (Ambrosia sp.), the daisy family (Asteraceae), carnations (Caryophyllaceae), goosefoot (Chenopodiaceae), spurges (Euphorbiaceae) and slangbos (Stoebe-type). Moulds were very low.
Durban
Moderate tree levels were seen with elevated mulberry (Moraceae) counts. Other tree pollen included the sumac family (Anacardiaceae), birch (Betulaceae), Australian pine (Casuarina sp.), hackberry (Celtis sp.), cypress (Cupressaceae), bushwillow (Combretaceae), ash (Fraxinus sp.), gum (Myrtaceae), pine (Pinaceae), yellowwood (Podocarpaceae), plane (Platanus sp.), oak (Quercus sp.) and elm (Ulmaceae). Grass and weed pollen counts were low. The weed pollen recorded was mugwort (Artemisia sp.), the daisy family (Asteraceae), carnations (Caryophyllaceae), goosefoot (Chenopodiaceae), sedges (Cyperaceae), erics (Ericaceae), plantain (Plantaginaceae), fern spores (Polypodiaceae) and nettles (Urticaceae). Fungal spores / mould levels were moderate.
Gqeberha
Low levels of tree, weed and grass pollen were seen. Trees detected include acacia (Acacia sp.), cedar (Cedrus sp.), waxberry (Morella sp.), gum (Myrtaceae), pine (Pinaceae) and karee (Rhus/Searsia sp.). Weeds included ice plants (Aizoaceae), katstert (Anthospermum sp.), mugwort (Artemisia sp.), the daisy family (Asteraceae), goosefoot (Chenopodiaceae), sedges (Cyperaceae), erica (Ericaceae), spurges (Euphorbiaceae) and protea (Proteaceae). Moulds were very low.
