Sexism Could Be Behind Your Seasonal Allergies
“…Male trees are one of the most significant reasons why allergies have gotten so bad for citydwellers in recent decades. They’re indiscriminate, spewing their gametes in every direction….
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….Ogren stumbled upon perhaps the first trace of sexism in urban landscaping in a 1949 USDA Yearbook of Agriculture. The book advised: “When used for street plantings, only male trees should be selected, to avoid the nuisance from the seed.”…
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“…Ogren sees gingko gametes as the far greater threat. Unlike almost every other plant, gingko trees produce motile sperm, capable of swimming in pursuit of germination. Where human sperm each have a single tail, or flagellum, gingko sperm have around a thousand. “Once the pollen gets in your nose, it will germinate and start swimming up there to get to where it’s going,” Ogren says. “It’s pretty invasive.”
Link:https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/seasonal-allergies-blame-male-trees?utm_medium=atlas-page&utm_source=facebook.com&fbclid=IwAR0pbm0KFZv2nWJDpA3eCBSQ7NA9Of9DMRiGnepQxYTOZbbNFigS8Cg5sawBotanical