pollen looks like a fine yellow or white dust, but when magnified many thousands of times in a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) each plant pollen species reveals a unique set of characteristics. They can be distinguished by shape, size and ornamentation.

How do you identify pollen?

By applying a visual gestalt utilizing grain number, size, shape, surface structures, and internal detail, one is able to identify pollen source to the appropriate botanical taxonomic level. Identification may be possible only to the family or order, but most frequently to the genus, and occasionally to the species.

Can you see pollen?

Masses of pollen are visible to the naked eye on the end of a stamen of a tulip or other flowers. But the naked eye cannot distinguish an individual pollen grain; it is far too small.