Woodland horsetail
(Equisetum sylvaticum)
Conservation • Wetland • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Use • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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| IUCN Red List | not listed |
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| NatureServe | NNR - Unranked SNR - Unranked |
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| Minnesota | not listed |
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Wetland Indicator Status |
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| Great Plains | FACW - Facultative wetland |
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| Midwest | FACW - Facultative wetland |
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| Northcentral & Northeast | FACW - Facultative wetland |
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Description |
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Height |
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10″ to 27″ |
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Similar Species |
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| This is the only horsetail on which the branches are themselves branched. | ||
Habitat |
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Moist. Coniferous, deciduous, and mixed forests, thickets, meadows, bogs, swamps, and streambanks. Partial shade. |
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Ecology |
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Sporulation |
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April through May |
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Pests and Diseases |
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Use |
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Distribution |
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Sources |
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| 4/20/2023 | ||||
Nativity |
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Native |
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Occurrence |
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Taxonomy |
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| Kingdom | Plantae (Plants) | ||
| Subkingdom | Pteridobiotina | ||
| Phylum | Tracheophyta (Vascular Plants) | ||
| Subdivision | Polypodiophytina | ||
| Class | Polypodiopsida (Ferns) | ||
| Subclass | Equisetidae (Horsetails) | ||
Order |
Equisetales (Horsetails) | ||
Family |
Equisetaceae (Horsetail) | ||
Genus |
Equisetum (Horsetails) | ||
| Subgenus | Equisetum | ||
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. |
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Subordinate Taxa |
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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. |
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Synonyms |
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Allostelites sylvaticum Equisetum abietinum Equisetum capillare Equisetum curvifolium Equisetum opbraculense Equisetum silvaticum var. squarrosum Equisetum sylvaticum f. capillare Equisetum sylvaticum f. gracile Equisetum sylvaticum f. multiramosum Equisetum sylvaticum f. neoserotinum Equisetum sylvaticum f. opsistachyum Equisetum sylvaticum f. polystachyum Equisetum sylvaticum f. praecox Equisetum sylvaticum f. pyramidale Equisetum sylvaticum f. serotinum Equisetum sylvaticum f. serum Equisetum sylvaticum f. sylvaticum Equisetum sylvaticum f. tardatum Equisetum sylvaticum var. capillare Equisetum sylvaticum var. multiramosum Equisetum sylvaticum var. pauciramosum Equisetum sylvaticum var. polystachyum Equisetum sylvaticum var. praecox Equisetum sylvaticum var. procumbens Equisetum sylvaticum var. pyramidale Equisetum sylvaticum var. robustum Equisetum sylvaticum var. serotinum Equisetum sylvaticum var. squarrosum Equisetum sylvaticum var. sylvaticum Presla sylvatica |
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Common Names |
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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”. |
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sylvan horsetail wood horsetail woodland horsetail |
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Visitor Photos |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Fertile Stems |
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Cones |
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Cone |
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Branches |
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Sheath |
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Teeth |
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Sterile Stems |
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Plant |
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Sheath |
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Slideshows |
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Visitor Videos |
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Other Videos |
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| Bospaardestaart Equisetum Sylvaticum 11 mei 2011.wmv Wim Derks |
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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! |
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