Download Equisetaceae

Equisetaceae
“Horsetail Family”
1 genus and 15 species
Water Horsetail
Equisetum fluviatile
• Leaves-whorls 4-9 mm long black-tipped
scales along the stem.
• Stem- dark green, stem pulls apart at the
joints. Hollow
• Flower- No flowers, but a cone-like sporeproducing structure develops at the end of the
fertile stems.
• Fruit- produces a spore instead of fruit.
• Root- rhizome with deep roots.
Field Horsetail
Equisetum arvense
• Stems- Short, succulent, yellowish shoots. The
stem never turns green.
• Root- At the base of the lateral branch buds,
rhizomes and shoots.
• No leaves
• Fruit- spores not fruit
Field Horsetail
Meadow Horsetail
Equisetum pratense
• Stems- have fertile and sterile stems. Hollow
and 1-4 mm thick.
• Leaves- small scales fused into pale sheaths,
2 - 6 mm long, with 8 - 10 brown, whiteedged teeth.
• Fruit- spore cones.
• 3-sided branches.
Woodland Horsetail
Equisetum sylvaticum
• Stems- Die each year, hollow. Fertileunbranched at first then compound; green
with 10-18 spiny branches.
• Leaves- scales fused into sheaths around the
stem, 3-5 brown teeth.
• Spore clusters- single, long-stalked, cones at
fertile stem tips.
Woodland Horsetail
References
• http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/plants/
plantid2/descriptions/equflu.html
• http://www.rook.org/earl/bwca/nature/ferns/
equisetumarv.html
• http://www.borealforest.org/ferns/fern5.htm
• http://www.borealforest.org/ferns/fern6.htm