description
Equisetum arvense, a perennial of the Equisetaceae family, has separate
sterile non-reproductive and fertile spore-bearing stems, growing from a
perennial underground rhizomatous stem system. The fertile stems are
produced in early spring and are non-photosynthetic, while the green sterile
stems start to grow after the fertile stems have wilted, and persist through
the summer until the first autumn frosts. The sterile stems are 10–90 cm
tall and 3–5 mm diameter, with jointed segments around 2–5 cm long with
whorls of side shoots at the segment joints; the side shoots have a diameter
of about 1 mm. Some stems can have as many as 20 segments. The fertile stems
are succulent-textured, off-white, 10–25 cm tall and 3–5 mm diameter, with
4–8 whorls of brown scale leaves, and an apical brown spore cone 10–40 mm
long and 4–9 mm broad.
common names & nomenclature
The specific name arvense is derived from the Latin arvensis, meaning "from
the meadow, field or grassland". The common name Scouring Rush is from the
plant being used to scrub pots and pans.
Also known as:
horsetail, shavegrass, common horsetail, field horsetail, corn horsetail,
dutch rushes, horsetail rush, mare's tail, pewterwort, scouring rush, vara
de oro, bottle brush, paddock pipes, dutch rushes
