PollyMapSmartweed pollen photographed through the microscope in the PollyKit lab.
More verified photos of Smartweed
About smartweed and dock pollen
Weed pollen from smartweeds, knotweeds and docks in damp and disturbed ground.
Plants that produce it
- Smartweed and knotweed along ditches and ponds
- Curly and sheep sorrel dock in fields and lawns
- Buckwheat relatives in the same family
How to recognize it
Round to oval grain with a coarse net-like surface and, in Rumex, three furrows with a thickened rim — the mesh is noticeably bolder than in olive or willow.
Typical published size: 20–35 µm
Commonly confused with
- Willow pollen — finer mesh
- Chenopod pollen — pores, not a network
Allergy relevance
Dock and sorrel are moderately allergenic wind-pollinated weeds; smartweeds are largely insect-pollinated and contribute less.
Where it's found
Throughout the United States in damp and disturbed ground.
Also searched as: smartweed pollen, polygonum pollen, dock pollen, rumex pollen, knotweed pollen.
Related pollen specimens
Citing this specimen: PollyMap Specimen Library. “Smartweed — verified microscope specimen.” pollymap.com/library/specimen/smartweed-pollen-d0fc8d
Expert discussion
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