Equisetum telmateia, Great Horsetail

Common Name: Great Horsetail

Equisetum telmateia, more commonly known as Great Horsetail, is the UK's largest horsetail. It has ivory white, brittle, smooth sterile stems up to 200cm. The central stem cavity is one third to half the stem's diameter. Branches are very long (up to 20cm) and numerous with 20 to 40 at each node. Fertile stems are also ivory white and quite thick with cones reaching 4 to 8cm.

Habitat is usually spring lines where lime rich water emerges, wet woodlands, marshes etc. Fertile cones ripen in April, sterile stems present May to October. It is a perennial plant and fairly frequent in England and Wales but scarcer in Scotland.

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