ROUGH HORSETAIL

DUTCH RUSH

Equisetum hyemale

Horsetail Family [Equisetaceae]

Stems: evergreen, dark-green; same stems sporing Jan-Apr

Spores: same stems sporing Jan-Apr

(0)

Photo: © RWD

A fairly rare Horsetail, but not a hybrid. These are usually grown as ornament by gardeners, and here they have escaped under their concrete fence.

Photo: © RWD

Some books claim that it grows up to 1m high; here it is well above the concrete wall which is about 5 feet high.

Photo: © RWD

It is very sturdy, grows upright (when not impeded) and like some desert cacti, has side-branches which also head straight upwards at their earliest opportunity.

Photo: © RWD

A pair of opposite thin straight erect branches emerge at the junction of most upper nodes. If the main stem has somehow strayed from the vertical, the branches still head straight upwards.

Photo: © RWD

These specimens are mostly fertile, with the branches topped by cones, here in various stages of growth.

Photo: © RWD

The cones elongate as they ripen.

Photo: © RWD

Spore-bearing hexagonal surfaces.

Photo: © RWD

Clapham Junction, Yorkshire Dales :-) The shallow ribs are easier to see on the thicker main stems. There are between 10 and 30 ribs.

Photo: © RWD

The snaking specimen got trapped my the wall but continued to grow causing it to squirm. It must be faily hollow looking by the deep kink.

Photo: © RWD

The 'leaves' are in sheaths (fawn coloured here; white/grey on other specimens) around each section, each having between 20 to 30 teeth (abs. min 15, abs. max 40).

Photo: © RWD

Con-caten-caten-caten-caten-caten-caten-caten-catenated leaves. Surely something has gone wrong in the growth here, or maybe this is how all horsetails grow? This specimen has lots of extending still to do. The leaves here on the main stem have turned silvery with black triangular tips. Those on side branches are still fawn-coloured (equals newer).

Photo: © RWD

Each rib has 2 tiny vertical rows of hairs (probably made of silica) - they are rough to the touch. Between the parallel rows are fine but longer horizontal hairs.

Photo: © RWD

this specimen has 3 branches growing from a junction, topped by what will probably later become a fertile cone bearing spores.

Not to be semantically confused with : Horse-radish (Armoracia rusticana) , Horse-Chestnut, Horseshoe Vetch (Hippocrepis comosa) nor to Horse Mint (Mentha longifolia) [plants with similar names belonging to differing families]

Uniquely identifiable characteristics

Distinguishing Feature : The height and the long and variable length of the opposite pairs of branches which shoot vertically upwards.

No relation to : Horse-radish, Horse-Chestnut, Horseshoe Vetch (Hippocrepis comosa) nor to Horse Mint (Mentha longifolia) [plants with similar names belonging to differing families]

Hybridizes with :

Branched Horsetail (Equisetum ramossimium) to produce Equisetum × mildeanum which is also called Moore's Horsetail
Variegated Horsetail (Equisetum variegatum) to produce Mackay's Horsetail

Rough Horsetail is native and found beside rivers, streams or ditches even amongst other dense vegetation. Also grown in gardens as an ornament, although it will spread.

Equisetum

hyemale

⇐ Global Aspect ⇒

Equisetaceae

Distribution
family8Horsetail family8Equisetaceae
BSBI maps

Equisetum
(Horsetails)