Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center


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Aquatic and Wetland Vascular Plants of the Northern Great Plains

1. Equisetaceae, the Horsetail Family

1. Equisetum L. -- Horsetail, scouring rush

7. Equisetum sylvaticum L. -- Wood horsetail

Stems dimorphic, annual, erect. Sterile stem green, densely branched from the nodes, 3-7 dm tall, mostly 10- to 18-ridged, the ridges usually with silicaceous spicules; central cavity usually more than 1/2 the stem diameter; main stem sheaths 5-10 mm long, the teeth coherent in usually 3-5 broad lobes, reddish-brown, 3-5 mm long. Branches rebranched, spreading to recurved, 4- or 5-angled. Fertile stems as in E. pratense, except usually having rebranched rather than simple branches; sheaths 10-25 mm long, the teeth fused into reddish-brown lobes 4-15 mm long. Cones as in E. pratense. Wet or swampy woods; uncommon; ne ND, ne SD and the Black Hills; (Circumboreal, in N.Amer. s to MD, WV, KY, IA, SD, nw MT, n ID and s B.C.).
GIF- Distribution Map

Previous Species -- Equisetum pratense Ehrh. -- Meadow horsetail
Return to Family -- Equisetaceae - The Horsetail Family

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Menlo Park, CA [caww55]