It’s storming outside right now. Spring is rolling in with a bang. There have been times, in the past, when it has snowed in March in South Carolina. I am no weatherman, but I am pretty sure this will not be one of those years. It has been way too warm, and I am excited about Spring (not that Spring cares what I think).
I was reading up on spring yesterday, looking for Ideas, and I found something about pollen being the only naturally occurring substance that will not be broken down by the environment. I can’t remember where I read it, I thought it was in Isaac Asimov’s Book of Facts, but I’ve looked over and over the "Green World" section and can’t find it. At least I can try to look up why it might be true.
It seems the outer layer of pollen is made of this stuff called sporopollenin, a naturally occurring polymer. Scientists are not sure of its exact make-up because the substance is so strong it can’t be broken down easily and studied. Well, that seems to confirm my bit of useless trivia. At least, this is what I gathered from Wikipedia. I feel like Wikipedia has become a crutch.
If anyone else knows more about pollen or sporopollenin, please feel free to share. I wonder if pollen’s indestructible nature is related to the cause of Hay Fever? Nonetheless, Have a fantastic first day of March.
Thomas,
tandrew@parkseed.com