Horsetail, Field Equisetum arvense L.
Perennial
Reproducing by spores
and rhizome sections

Cotyledons
None, sends up two different
types of stems (vegetative and reproductive)

Roots
Rhizome

Stem
Reproductive: early May
White to light brown, hollow
Jointed stems with nodes surrounded
by yellowish-brown sheaths with dark
brown teeth, tip has brownish
cone-shaped spike containing spores
Vegetative: slender, green
Wiry with whorled branches at
each node, stems easily pulled apart
at nodes and can be pushed back together

True Leaves
Green, linear, jointed
Whorled with six to eight
branches at each node

Flowers
Absent
Spore-producing cone at end of
reproductive stem

Habitat
Poorly drained, sandy or
gravelly soils, cultivated fields

Note
Intense competitor
Poisonous to livestock and may be
more poisonous in hay than in the field

Last Update: May 1, 2007