PollyMapMesquite pollen photographed through the microscope in the PollyKit lab — verified in Arizona.
More verified photos of Mesquite
About mesquite pollen
Desert legume pollen shed in dense clusters by mesquite trees in late spring.
Plants that produce it
- Velvet mesquite in Sonoran desert washes
- Honey and screwbean mesquite
- Chilean mesquite planted as a landscape tree
How to recognize it
Small oval grain with three furrows and a smooth to finely granular wall; frequently seen in tight clumps because the grains are shed in packets.
Typical published size: 18–28 µm
Commonly confused with
- Palo verde pollen — larger and more angular
- Olive pollen — coarser surface pattern
Allergy relevance
Moderately allergenic and a notable late-spring trigger in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts, where mesquite is abundant.
Where it's found
PollyMap has verified specimens of Mesquite from Arizona.
Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, southern Nevada and California deserts.
Also searched as: mesquite pollen, prosopis pollen, mesquite pollen allergy, velvet mesquite pollen.
Related pollen specimens
Citing this specimen: PollyMap Specimen Library. “Mesquite — verified microscope specimen.” pollymap.com/library/specimen/mesquite-pollen-39b485
Expert discussion
No published comments yet. If you study palynology or mycology, we'd value your read on this specimen.