Meadow horsetail

Appearance

The sterile stem is slender, green and has whorled branches that grow horizontal (parallel to the ground) to drooping. The “leaves” are reduced to a toothed sheath that surrounds the stem, with 8 to 19 teeth that are dark brown with white edging. The stem has a small central cavity; branches are solid and rough to touch. The first sheath on the branch (aka first internode) has 3 or 4 teeth. The first internode on the lowest branch is shorter than the stem sheath, though the first internode on branches higher up may be as long as or very slightly longer than the stem sheath.

Fertile stems are not like sterile stems, identified by the blunt-tipped, 1-inch cone at the tip of the stem. Initially, the stem is pale pink to brownish and there are no branches, but after the spores are released the fertile stem turns green and branches develop, becoming like sterile stems.

Aerial stems dimorphic; vegetative stems green, branched, 16--50 cm; hollow center 1/6--1/3 stem diam. Sheaths somewhat elongate, 3--5 × 2--4 mm; teeth 8--18, narrow, 1.5--4 mm, centers dark and margins white. Branches in regular whorls, horizontal to drooping, solid; ridges 3; valleys channeled; 1st internode of each branch equal to or longer than subtending stem sheath; sheath teeth deltate. Fertile stems brown, with stomates, initially unbranched, persisting and becoming branched and green after spore discharge.

Naming

Equisetum pratense Ehrhart

Distribution

Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld., N.W.T., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Yukon; Alaska, Conn., Ill., Iowa, Maine, Mass., Mich., Minn., N.H., N.Y., N.Dak., Vt., Wis.; n Eurasia to ne China, Japan in Hokkaido.

Habitat

Meadows, wet woodlands

Reproduction

By spores and rhizomes. Spore cones maturing in late spring.