Summary
Moderate fungal spore counts were seen in Cape Town and likely continued in Durban (no new data). The pollen counts in all plant categories were low.
Cape Town
Very low pollen levels were seen. Trees included cedar (Cedrus sp.), pine (Pinaceae), yellowwood (Podocarpus sp.), gum (Myrtaceae), forest elder (Nuxia sp.) and cypress (Cupressaceae). Weeds included the daisy family (Asteraceae) and ferns (Polypodiaceae). Moulds were moderate with spikes for ascospores and the allergenic fungal spore, Cladosporium.
Calvinia
Large deposits of sand and particulate matter obscured the pollen and fungal spores in this week’s sample, but extremely low levels for tree, grass, weed and fungal spores were seen. Trees included the sumac family (Anacardiaceae) and the only weeds detected were goosefoot (Chenopodiaceae). Moulds were very low.
Johannesburg
Grass, tree, weed and mould levels were low during this sampling period. The tree pollen detected were birch (Betulaceae), Australian pine (Casuarina sp.), cypress (Cupressaceae), gum (Myrtaceae) and elm (Ulmaceae). Weeds included pigweed (Amaranthus sp.), the daisy family (Asteraceae), erica (Ericaceae) and ferns (Polypodiaceae).
Pretoria
All pollen and fungal spore levels were low during this sampling period. Trees detected were cypress (Cupressaceae), mulberry (Moraceae), gum Myrtaceae) and pine (Pinaceae). Weeds were the daisy family (Asteraceae), the carnation family (Caryophyllaceae), sedges (Cyperaceae), spurges (Euphorbiaceae), erica (Ericaceae), ferns (Polypodiaceae) and nightshades (Solanaceae). Moulds were low.
Bloemfontein
No significant pollen or mould levels were detected during this sampling week. The trees recorded were the sumac family (Anacardiaceae), Australian pine (Casuarina sp.), yellowwood (Podocarpus sp.) and forest elder (Nuxia sp.). Weeds included sedges (Cyperaceae), plantain (Plantaginaceae), the daisy family (Asteraceae) and mugwort (Artemisia sp.).
Kimberley
Low pollen levels were detected. Trees included the sumac family (Anacardiaceae), karee (Rhus/Searsia sp.) and forest elder (Nuxia sp.). Weeds detected were the daisy family (Asteraceae) and goosefoot (Chenopodiaceae). Moulds were generally low. The allergenic spore Alternaria increased, but only one significant count for this spore occurred.
Durban
A technical fault at this site meant no new data were available for this sampling period, so the previous week’s results are repeated. Low levels were seen for grasses. The few trees that were detected were the sumac family (Anacardiaceae), gum (Myrtaceae), birch (Betulaceae) and forest elder (Nuxia sp.) Very few weed pollen grains were seen and these belonged to the daisy family (Asteraceae). Moulds were moderate but significant counts for Cladosporium, an allergenic mould/fungal spore, were detected throughout the week.
Gqeberha
Low pollen counts were seen in the grass, trees and weeds categories. Tree pollen included the sumac family (Anacardiaceae), Australian pine (Casuarina sp.), cedar (Cedrus sp.), cypress (Cupressaceae), waxberry (Morella sp.) and gum (Myrtaceae). The weeds recorded were mugwort (Artemisia sp.), the daisy family (Asteraceae), sedges (Cyperaceae), erica (Ericaceae) restio (Restionaceae) and slangbos (Stoebe-type). Mould levels were low.
