(opens in a new window)Click for images and videos of the pollen grains from 204 plant species
(opens in a new window)Click for a database of all species in the collection, and the key features of their pollen grains
Glossary of key terms used in the database
| Features | Description | Categories |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Size was measured in µm and was measured in both the polar and equatorial axes. It is given as a range and separated into several size bins. However, size range may run over several categories and can be highly variable depending on method of preparation etc. so size should be used as a broad scale as opposed to an exact measurement. |
Very Small (<20µm) <1 Corylus Small (20-30µm) 1 Corylus Medium (31-50µm) >1 Corylus Large (51-100µm) >2 Corylus Very Large (>100µm) >4 Corylus |
| Shape | Shape was measured in both the polar and equatorial axes Some pollen grains can appear different shapes in different images and so where applicable these were placed in multiple categories. |
Round Oval (flattened or elongated) Triangular Semi-circular Irregular |
| Air Sacs | Air sacs or bladders, are pockets of air attached to the outside of the pollen grain. However, this may not be the most practical tool for identification as many samples may have had air sacs which were destroyed in the process of slide making, and air sacs may not be visible in some images. |
Yes No |
| No. of pores | Small circular apertures/openings in the surface of the pollen grain. | 0 1 2 3 Greater than 4 |
| No. of furrows | Elongated groove/ opening in the surface of the pollen grain, often referred to as a colpus. | 0 1 2 3 Greater than 4 |
| Furrows with pores | Elongated grooves that contain small circular openings in the centre that are found on the surface of pollen grains. |
0 1 2 3 Greater than 4 |
| Tetrad | A group or set of 4 pollen grains joined together. However, some pollen grains may be a pseudomonad, which is a tetrad that looks like a monad, in these cases they were listed as both a tetrad and not a tetrad. |
Yes No |
| Massula | A coherent mass of pollen grains attached to one another. | Yes No |
| Surface Texture | The design of the exine of the pollen grain. May not be easily seen from Light Microscope (LM) images but can be clearly seen from Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images. See (opens in a new window)here for more info. |
Smooth Granular Striated Netted Dotted |
| Projections | Extensions of the exine that extend outwards from the pollen grain and can be either rounded or sharp spines. May not be easily seen from Light Microscope (LM) images but can be clearly seen from Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images which are not represented in our collection. See (opens in a new window)here for more info on terminology. |
Echinate Baculate Scabrate Clavate Verrucate |