Plantae > Tracheophyta > Equisetopsida > Equisetales > Equisetaceae > Equisetum > Equisetum arvense
 

Equisetum arvense (scouring rush; field horsetail; western horsetail)

Synonyms: Equisetum arvense alpestre; Equisetum arvense boreale; Equisetum arvense campestre; Equisetum arvense riparium; Equisetum calderi

Wikipedia Abstract

Equisetum arvense, the Field Horsetail, Oblivion Horsetail or Common Horsetail, is a herbaceous perennial plant, native throughout the arctic and temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. It has separate sterile non-reproductive and fertile spore-bearing stems, growing from a perennial underground rhizomatous stem system.
View Wikipedia Record: Equisetum arvense

Attributes

Height [2]  23 inches (0.6 m)
Screening - Summer [1]  Porous
Screening - Winter [1]  Porous
Hardiness Zone Minimum [1]  USDA Zone: 2 Low Temperature: -50 F° (-45.6 C°) → -40 F° (-40 C°)
Light Preference [4]  Mostly Sunny
Soil Acidity [4]  Moderate Acid
Soil Fertility [4]  Intermediate
Soil Moisture [4]  Moist
Water Use [1]  High
Flower Color [1]  Green
Foliage Color [1]  Green
Fruit Color [1]  Green
Bloom Period [1]  Spring
Drought Tolerance [1]  None
Edible [2]  May be edible. See the Plants For A Future link below for details.
Fire Tolerance [1]  None
Frost Free Days [1]  3 months 10 days
Fruit/Seed Abundance [1]  Medium
Fruit/Seed Begin [1]  Spring
Fruit/Seed End [1]  Fall
Growth Form [1]  Rhizomatous
Growth Period [1]  Spring
Growth Rate [1]  Rapid
Hazards [2]  Large quantities of the plant can be toxic. This is because it contains the enzyme thiaminase; In small quantities this enzyme will do no harm to people eating an adequate diet that is rich in vitamin B, though large quantities can cause severe health problems. The enzyme is destroyed by heat or thorough drying, so cooking the plant will remove the thiaminase; The plant also contains equisetic acid - see the notes on medicinal uses for more information;
Leaf Type [3]  Evergreen
Lifespan [2]  Perennial
Propagation [1]  Bare Root, Seed, Sprig, Tuber
Regrowth Rate [1]  Slow
Root Depth [1]  5 inches (15 cm)
Seed Spread Rate [1]  Slow
Seed Vigor [1]  Medium
Shape/Orientation [1]  Erect
Structure [3]  Fern
Usage [2]  The stems contain 10% silica and are used for scouring metal; They can also be used as a polish for brass, hardwood etc; The infused stem is an effective fungicide against mildew, mint rust and blackspot on roses; It also makes a good liquid feed; A light pink dye is obtained from the stem; It is yellow-gray according to another report; The plant has been used for making whistles;
Vegetative Spread Rate [1]  Moderate
View Plants For A Future Record : Equisetum arvense

Protected Areas

Name IUCN Category Area acres Location Species Website Map Climate Land Use
Algonquin Provincial Park IV 1868802 Ontario, Canada
Arches National Park II 76539 Utah, United States
Aulavik National Park II 3021211 Northwest Territories, Canada
Auyuittuq National Park II 4808115 Nunavut, Canada
Baikalskiy Biosphere Reserve Zapovednik Ia 458883 Russia  
Banff National Park II 1690912 Alberta, Canada
Basegi Zapovednik Ia 93739 Perm, Russia
Belovezhskaya Pushcha Biosphere Reserve National Park II 218515 Belarus
Berchtesgaden Alps National Park II 51433 Germany
Bering Land Bridge National Preserve Ib 2823882 Alaska, United States
Berwyn a Mynyddoedd de Clwyd/ Berwyn and South Clwyd Mountains 67265 Wales, United Kingdom
Blue Ridge Parkway National Parkway V 73611 North Carolina, Virginia, United States
Bolshekhekhtsirsky Zapovednik Ia 112282 Khabarovsk, Russia
Canyonlands National Park II 335430 Utah, United States
Cape Breton Highlands National Park II 234333 Nova Scotia, Canada  
Cape Krusenstern National Monument III 604302 Alaska, United States
Carmarthen Bay and Estuaries/ Bae Caerfyrddin ac Aberoedd 163340 Wales, United Kingdom
Carpathian Biosphere Reserve 144772 Ukraine  
Crater Lake National Park II 180091 Oregon, United States
Dartmoor 57244 England, United Kingdom
Daurskiy Biosphere Reserve 562659 Russia  
Denali Biosphere Reserve 1932364 Alaska, United States
Elk Island National Park II 47171 Alberta, Canada
Essex Estuaries 114016 England, United Kingdom
Firth of Tay & Eden Estuary 38085 Scotland, United Kingdom
Forillon National Park II 61010 Quebec, Canada  
Fundy National Park II 52716 New Brunswick, Canada
Gates of the Arctic National Park Ib 184461 Alaska, United States
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve Ib 591068 Alaska, United States
Glacier National Park II 953799 Montana, United States
Grand Canyon National Park II 1210128 Arizona, United States
Grasslands National Park II 128635 Saskatchewan, Canada
Great Smoky Mountains National Park II 515454 North Carolina, Tennessee, United States
Gros Morne National Park II 476632 Newfoundland, Canada
Humber Estuary 90582 England, United Kingdom
Isle Royale Biosphere Reserve Ib 571799 Michigan, United States
Isles of Scilly Complex 66350 England, United Kingdom    
Ivvavik National Park II 2382752 Yukon, Canada
Jasper National Park II 2776809 Alberta, Canada
Katmai National Park and Preserve Ib 421782 Alaska, United States
Katunsky Biosphere Reserve 393162 Altai, Russia
Kavkazskiy Biosphere Reserve Ia 692723 Krasnodar, Karachay-Cherkessia, Adygea, Russia
Kedrovaya Pad Zapovednik Ia 44224 Primorsky Krai , Russia
Kejimkujik National Park II 94203 Nova Scotia, Canada
Kenai Fjords National Park Ib 574822 Alaska, United States
Khopersky Zapovednik Ia 47103 Russia  
Kluane National Park and Reserve National Park Reserve II 5463436 Yukon, Canada
Kootenay National Park II 341762 British Columbia, Canada
Kouchibouguac National Park II 59161 New Brunswick, Canada
Kronotskiy Biosphere Reserve 361480 Russia  
La Mauricie National Park II 131706 Quebec, Canada
Lake Clark National Park and Preserve Ib 386679 Alaska, United States
Lake Superior Provincial Park IV 351011 Ontario, Canada
Lake Torne Area Biosphere Reserve 238457 Sweden  
Laplandskiy Biosphere Reserve 757114 Russia  
Lyme Bay and Torbay 77215 England, United Kingdom
Magadansky Zapovednik 2332834 Russia  
Mammoth Cave Area Biosphere Reserve (Natn'l Park) National Park II 51235 Kentucky, United States
Migneint–Arenig–Dduallt 49343 Wales, United Kingdom
Moor House – Upper Teesdale 95867 England, United Kingdom
Moray Firth 373987 Scotland, United Kingdom  
Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Reserve 293047 British Columbia, Canada  
Nahanni National Park Reserve II 1309627 Northwest Territories, Canada
Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Reserve 470167 Ontario, Canada  
Noatak Biosphere Reserve 7500143 Alaska, United States  
North Pennine Moors 254789 England, United Kingdom
North York Moors 108930 England, United Kingdom
Okskiy Biosphere Reserve 190748 Russia  
Olympic Biosphere Reserve II 922805 Washington, United States
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve II 137900 British Columbia, Canada
Pen Llyn a`r Sarnau/ Lleyn Peninsula and the Sarnau 360832 Wales, United Kingdom
Polar Bear Provincial Park 5502026 Ontario, Canada
Prince Albert National Park II 976762 Saskatchewan, Canada
Pukaskwa National Park II 459860 Ontario, Canada
Quttinirpaaq (Ellesmere Island) National Park Reserve II 9436606 Nunavut, Canada
Redberry Lake Biosphere Reserve 277252 Saskatchewan, Canada
Riding Mountain Biosphere Reserve II 762028 Manitoba, Canada
Rocky Mountain Biosphere Reserve II 239938 Colorado, United States
Sayano-Shushenskiy Biosphere Reserve Ia 964620 Krasnoyarsk, Russia
Severn Estuary/ Môr Hafren 182155 England/Wales, United Kingdom
Sirmilik National Park II 5475284 Canada
South Wight Maritime 49082 England, United Kingdom
Southern Appalachian Biosphere Reserve 37548505 North Carolina, Tennessee, United States  
St Kilda 62932 Scotland, United Kingdom    
Terra Nova National Park IV 125894 Newfoundland, Canada
The New Forest 72309 England, United Kingdom
The Wash and North Norfolk Coast 266284 England, United Kingdom
Tsentral'no-Lesnoy Biosphere Reserve Ia 62630 Russia  
Tsentral'no-Sibirskiy Biosphere Reserve Ia 2521510 Krasnoyarsk, Russia
Tuktut Nogait National Park II 5761538 Northwest Territories, Canada
Ussuriysky Zapovednik Ia 99910 Primorsky Krai , Russia
Voronezhskiy Biosphere Reserve 95835 Russia  
Vuntut National Park II 1076795 Yukon, Canada
Wapusk National Park II 2614324 Manitoba, Canada
Winisk River Provincial Park II 434735 Ontario, Canada
Wood Buffalo National Park II 11038545 Alberta, Canada
Woodland Caribou Provincial Wilderness Park Provincial Park II 1072124 Ontario, Canada
Yellowstone Biosphere Reserve II 2196863 Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, United States
Yoho National Park II 317576 British Columbia, Canada
Zion National Park II 135667 Utah, United States

Ecosystems

Predators

Alces alces (moose)[5]
Bonasa umbellus (Ruffed Grouse)[5]
Clethrionomys rutilus (northern red-backed vole)[6]
Dolerus germanicus <Unverified Name>[7]
Dolerus vestigialis <Unverified Name>[8]
Grypus equiseti[7]
Hippuriphila modeeri <Unverified Name>[7]
Hydraecia micacea (potato stem worm)[7]
Liriomyza equiseti[7]
Liriomyza occipitalis[7]
Marmota caligata (hoary marmot)[6]
Microtus townsendii (Townsend's vole)[9]
Ovis dalli (Dall's sheep)[6]
Spermophilus parryii (Arctic ground squirrel)[6]
Ursus americanus (black bear)[6]
Ursus arctos (Grizzly Bear)[5]

Distribution

Bassegi Zapovednik; North America;

External References

USDA Plant Profile

Photos

Citations

Species recognized by Kartesz J., 15-Mar-2000, ITIS Regional: The Integrated Taxonomic Information System in Catalog of Life 2011
Attributes / relations provided by ♦ 1USDA Plants Database, U. S. Department of Agriculture ♦ 2Plants For A Future licensed under a Creative Commons License ♦ 3Kattge, J. et al. (2011b) TRY - a global database of plant traits Global Change Biology 17:2905-2935 ♦ 4ECOFACT 2a Technical Annex - Ellenberg’s indicator values for British Plants, M O Hill, J O Mountford, D B Roy & R G H Bunce (1999) ♦ 5Making The Forest And Tundra Wildlife Connection ♦ 6Exploring the Denali Food Web, ParkWise, National Park Service ♦ 7Biological Records Centre Database of Insects and their Food Plants ♦ 8Ecology of Commanster ♦ 9Microtus townsendii, John E. Cornely and B. J. Verts, MAMMALIAN SPECIES No. 325, pp. 1-9 (1988)
Protected Areas provided by Biological Inventories of the World's Protected Areas in cooperation between the Information Center for the Environment at the University of California, Davis and numerous collaborators. ♦ GBIF Global Biodiversity Information Facility
Images provided by Google Image Search
Abstract provided by DBpedia licensed under a Creative Commons License
Weather provided by NOAA METAR Data Access