great horsetail

Equisetum telmateia

The great horsetail is a tall, green plant that looks like a giant green brush! It grows in wet places and is very special because it has been around for millions of years.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The great horsetail has two distinct types of stems. Early fertile stems are unbranched, pale brown, and topped with a cone of spores. Later, sterile stems grow tall and vivid green with whorls of fine, brush-like branches, resembling a miniature fir tree.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassPolypodiopsidaOrderEquisetalesFamilyEquisetaceaeGenusEquisetum

great horsetail

Interesting facts

Ancient plant relatives grew as tall as trees during the age of dinosaurs!

Each spore has spring-like elaters, helping it jump and fly in the wind!

It breathes through tiny holes called stomata, mostly on its branches!

Its rough stems were once used by pioneers to scrub pots and pans!

Special abilities

Great horsetail has silica crystals in its stems that make it strong and abrasive, helping it deter munching animals.

Great horsetail can spread tiny, dust-like spores that float on the wind to grow new plants, helping it colonize damp areas.

Great horsetail grows long underground stems called rhizomes, allowing it to rapidly spread and form large colonies.

Measurements & details

Height: 20-100 cm
Spread: 30-150 cm
Edible: No
Toxicity: Mild
Lifecycle: Perennial
Pollination Method: Wind

Ecological connections

eats

Horsetail Leaf Beetle

Lema cyanella

Larvae and adults feed on horsetail stems.

shelters

Common Frog

Rana temporaria

Hides among its dense stems near water.

shelters

Common Garter Snake

Thamnophis sirtalis

Hides within thick horsetail growth near water.

Traits

Nitrogen Fixing

Describes organisms capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen into compounds usable by plants.

Grass-Like

Grass-like plants are herbaceous plants that visually resemble true grasses, typically having long, narrow leaves.

Spore Producing

Spore-producing organisms reproduce by releasing small, often single-celled, reproductive units called spores.

Ancient Lineage

This trait signifies organisms belonging to a very old evolutionary group with ancestors dating back millions of years.

Decomposer

Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.

Longevous

This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.