The
rumour that wattles are one of the worst plants for hay fever sufferers
is not warranted. While some people may be allergic to wattle pollen,
most people are allergic to grass and other small pollens which are
around at the same time but whose flowers are not as obvious as the
brilliant wattle. Spring time might be wattle time, but so is it grass
pollen season. People notice the yellow wattle and do not notice the
insignificant grasses in flower at the same time. Grasses are wind pollinated
and their pollens get up peoples' noses quite easily. Wattles are not
wind pollinated. In fact wattle pollen is relatively heavy. Wattle pollen
is found in clumps of perhaps 4, 8, 16, and 32 individual pollen grains.
These pollen clumps are called polyads, and are not designed
to float in the wind. The great botanist of Australia Baron Ferdinand
von Mueller was the first to write about wattle polyads in 1887. The
Baron was a remarkable man, and observed plants very carefully. He liked
wattles. While the Baron thought that wattles extended their 'gayness
and loveliness over vast pristine places', he could see them disappearing
from the countryside too quickly. Can you see any wattle loveliness
from your window?
Wattle you know wattle you do?
- Have a closer look at pollen. Be a researcher like Baron Von Mueller above and stain/view/draw wattle parts including pollen using a monocular microscope. Palynology is the study of pollen grains. Pollens are like the fingerprints of a species. What pollen grain types can you find. Compare wattle pollen with eucalypt and pine pollen.