PollyMapFern sporangium house dust photographed through the microscope in the PollyKit lab — verified in Arizona.
About fern spores
Spores of ferns, recognizable by a three-rayed scar or bean-shaped slit.
Plants that produce it
- Native ferns in canyons, seeps and shaded slopes
- Houseplant and landscape ferns
- Lip ferns and cliffbrake in rocky desert habitats
How to recognize it
Brown to yellow spore, either roughly triangular with a three-rayed (trilete) scar or bean-shaped with a single slit, often with a warty or ridged surface.
Typical published size: 30–60 µm
Commonly confused with
- Palm pollen — single furrow, no scar
- Some ascospores — no scar
Allergy relevance
Not an established allergen; fern spores are recorded mainly as an ecological indicator in air samples.
Where it's found
PollyMap has verified specimens of Fern sporangium from Arizona.
Nationwide, wherever ferns grow.
Also searched as: fern spore, fern spore under microscope, trilete spore.
Related dust specimens
Citing this specimen: PollyMap Specimen Library. “Fern sporangium — verified microscope specimen.” pollymap.com/library/specimen/fern-sporangium-dust-arizona-94d67f
Expert discussion
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