woodland horsetail

(Equisetum sylvaticum)

Conservation Status
woodland horsetail
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

NNR - Unranked

SNR - Unranked

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
Wetland Indicator Status
     
  Great Plains

FACW - Facultative wetland

     
  Midwest

FACW - Facultative wetland

     
  Northcentral & Northeast

FACW - Facultative wetland

     
           
 
Description
 
 

 

 
     
 

Height

 
 

10 to 27

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
  This is the only horsetail on which the branches are themselves branched.  
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Moist. Coniferous, deciduous, and mixed forests, thickets, meadows, bogs, swamps, and streambanks. Partial shade.

 
     
 
Biology
 
 

Sporulation

 
 

April through May

 
     
 
Use
 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 28, 29.

 
  6/11/2018      
         
 

Nativity

 
 

Native

 
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Plantae (green algae and land plants)  
  Subkingdom Viridiplantae (green plants)  
  Infrakingdom Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)  
  Superdivision Embryophyta (land plants)  
  Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)  
  Subdivision Polypodiophytina  
  Class Polypodiopsida (ferns)  
  Subclass Equisetidae (horsetails)  
 

Order

Equisetales (horsetails)  
 

Family

Equisetaceae (horsetails)  
 

Genus

Equisetum (horsetails)  
  Subgenus Equisetum (horsetails)  
       
 

There are 15 species of Equisetum, which is the only living genus in the family Equisetaceae, which is the only family in the order Equisetales, which is the only order in the class Equisetopsida. The history of Equisetum has been traced 300 million years to the Cretaceous period, and possibly to the Triassic period. That could make Equisetum the oldest living genus of vascular plants.

The genus Equisetum is divided into two subgenera, Equisetum and Hippochaete. Woodland horsetail is one of the eight species in the subgenus Equisetum. Six of those eight species are found in North America. Five are found in Minnesota.

 
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

This pant is highly variable. Some sources describe three subspecies based on the amount of branching and the texture of the branches. Most sources do not recognize any subspecies.

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Equisetum sylvaticum var. multiramosum

Equisetum sylvaticum var. pauciramosum

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

The stems are regularly branched, the branches appearing in a whorl at each stem node. This gives the plant the appearance of a horse’s tail, giving rise to the common name “horsetail”.

 
       
 

sylvan horsetail

wood horsetail

woodland horsetail

 
       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

       
Visitor Photos
   

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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
   
       
Fertile Stems
       

Plant

  woodland horsetail   woodland horsetail
       
  woodland horsetail   woodland horsetail
       

Cones

  woodland horsetail   woodland horsetail
       
  woodland horsetail    
       

Cone

  woodland horsetail   woodland horsetail
       

Branches

  woodland horsetail    
       

Sheath

  woodland horsetail    
       

Teeth

  woodland horsetail    
       
Sterile Stems
       

Plant

  woodland horsetail   woodland horsetail
       

Sheath

  woodland horsetail    
       

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
 
     
     
     

 

slideshow

       
Visitor Videos
       

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Other Videos
 
  Bospaardestaart Equisetum Sylvaticum 11 mei 2011.wmv
Wim Derks
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on May 12, 2011

Een nogal zeldzame, bedreigde plant op een onverwachte plek gevonden!

Google translation: A rather rare , endangered plant found in an unexpected place!

   
       

 

Camcorder

         
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