PollyMapMormon Tea pollen photographed through the microscope in the PollyKit lab — verified in Arizona.
About mormon tea pollen (ephedra)
Ribbed desert shrub pollen from Mormon tea / joint fir.
Plants that produce it
- Green and Nevada Mormon tea on desert slopes
- Joint fir in the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau
How to recognize it
Elongate grain marked by a series of strong lengthwise ridges and grooves running pole to pole, giving a fluted, melon-like profile.
Typical published size: 35–55 µm
Commonly confused with
- Maple pollen — finer ridges and three furrows
Allergy relevance
Considered a minor allergen; airborne counts are usually low even where the shrubs are common.
Where it's found
PollyMap has verified specimens of Mormon Tea from Arizona.
Desert and semi-desert of the Southwest and Great Basin.
Also searched as: mormon tea pollen, ephedra pollen, joint fir pollen.
Related pollen specimens
Citing this specimen: PollyMap Specimen Library. “Mormon Tea — verified microscope specimen.” pollymap.com/library/specimen/mormon-tea-pollen-arizona-02ec44
Expert discussion
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