1. A Pollen Key for Quaternary Paleontology

2. Amaranthus - Spherical - Periporate - Exine: Scabrate to Psilate
Favors warmer climates
Amaranthus, pigweed, is a genus of herbs.

3. Ambrosia Spherical Exine: Echinate (short spines)
- Favors warm, temperate climates
Ragweeds (Ambrosia), also called bitterweeds and bloodweeds, are a genus of flowering plants from the sunflower family (Asteraceae)

4. Eriogonum Prolate Colporate Exine: Reticulate Favors colder climates
Eriogonum is the genus known as Wild Buckwheat.

5. Sarcobatus Spherical Periporate (fewer porates than amaranthus)
Exine: Psilate
Favors warmer and dryer
climates
Greasewood (Sarcobatus) is a genus from desert areas of western North America

6. Juniperus - Spherical to Elliptical - no obvious aperture (inaperatuate) - Exine: Gemmate - Typically looks like “Pac Man” in fossil form - Favors warmer climates
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family.

7. Quercus - Prolate - tricolpate - Exine: Verrucate - Favors warmer climates
Quercus is the genus for oak trees

8. Picea Vesiculate - Reticulum Bladders The cap exine is a verrucate
texture
- Favors cold climates
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea, a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen coniferous trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate or boreal regions.

9. Pinus Bisaccate Sculptural Element? Has a pronounced lateral
line giving the impression of
a cap sitting on top of the
body portion
Favors moderate climates
(transitional)
Pines are coniferous trees in the genus Pinus, in the family Pinaceae

10. Artemisia Tricolporate Broad-based, low pointed spines
Favors moderate climates
(transitional)
Artemisia is a large, diverse genus of plants belonging to the daisy family Asteraceae. It consists of herbs and shrubs that grow in temperate climates, usually in dry or semi-dry habitats.

11. Poaceae Spherical Monoporate (looks like a microscopic cantaloupe)
Poaceae (Graminae)
Poaceae (Graminae)
This family includes food crops, turf
Poaceae (Graminae)
Poaceae (Graminae)
Poaceae
Spherical
Monoporate (looks like a
microscopic cantaloupe)
Exine: Scabrate to Psilate
A hardy family of plants that
favors moderate climates
(transitional)
Poaceae or Gramineae is a family of flowering plants, usually called grasses. Grass species also occur in many other habitats, including wetlands, forests and tundra. They inculde wheat, corn, and rice.