A dataset of scanning electron microscope images of pollen from 15 species of Salsola L. in Xinjiang

In this study, we collected fifteen species of Salsola L. from Northern Xinjiang at the end of the flowering period in 2007, including Salsola. subcrassa, S. orientalis, and S. lanata, etc.. We first identified and classified these species by comparison of flowers and fruits, and then photographed the pollen from multiple angles, and analyzed them a using a LEO-1430VP scanning electron microscope with a maximum magnification of 20,000× and an image resolution of 1023×766 pixels. A total of 84 images were included in the study. The Salsola L. in the dataset was identified twice by an expert in Chenopodiaceae taxonomy, and a specialized staff operated a scanning electron microscope to observe pollen traits. Readers can access the corresponding pollen scanning electron microscope images in this dataset by referecing the species name of Salsola L.. The release of this dataset facilitates the in-depth study of the typical pollen characteristics of Salsola L. in Xinjiang and even in Central Asia. Moreover, it further complements and perfects the grouping system based on the morphological characteristics of Salsola L., and provides an important reference for the research on palynology, taxonomy, ecology and so on.