Allergy Information

Pollen in this family is usually considered a significant cause of pollinosis, but varies among genera within the family. It is thought that there is considerable cross reactivity among the genera. Winged pigweed has not been studied extensively in this regard.

Genus Details

Winged pigweed is in the lambsquarter (Chenopodiaceae) family. Originally from Europe, it has spread all over the U.S. Generally, winged pigweed is found in pastures, fields and road sides. Leaves are generally rough feeling, and the plant has an erect habit. The flowers of the plant are collected in small, long, flowering clusters. Pollen is wind borne and is shed abundantly in the summer months.

Pollen Description

The pollen grains of these families are spheroidal and pantoporate; the pores 20-65 per grain, usually circular, either globally distributed or in luminoid areas separated by muroid ridges; and the opercular granular. The sexine is often tegillate, undulating with a granular surface that is spinulose. The nexine is as thick as or often thinner than the sexine and the intine is generally thick or indistinct.

The pollen grains are 14-50 micrometers in diameter.

Genus Distribution

The shaded areas on the map indicates where the genus has been observed in the United States.

- Native, observed in a county 

- Introduced, observed in a county 

- Rarely observed