The establishment of standard criteria for prior selection of consolidated sedimentary samples for palynological analyses is of great importance, because sample preparation by maceration is very expensive, and it is desirable to avoid the processing of barren sediments. Among several criteria, the easiest ones applicable in the routine are the lithological nature of the sediment and the degree of oxidation of the material. Because colour is an organoleptic property closely related to the degree of oxidation, it may be possible to evaluate the pollen potential of the samples through the accurate classification of their colouring This work is the result of an inventory made during the elaboration of a project which involved the preparation of more than 200 palynological samples of diverse provenances with respect to lithology and age. The study of the data plotted in tables made from the Rock Color Chart allowed visual evaluation of the relationship which exists between the colour and the palynological fertility of the sediment: in the "N" shade belt, the greatest concentration of fertile samples occurs; the concentration decreases in shades with yellow pigments (5Y, 10Y and 5GY) and the shades with red pigments (5YR and 10YR) being almost barren.
