Horsetails
Here is a detailed response about the classification and characteristics of horsetails:
Horsetails (genus Equisetum) are a unique group of plants that belong to the order Equisetales and the class Equisetopsida. They are the only living genus in the Equisetaceae family, and are considered “living fossils” as they have changed little from their ancestors that existed over 100 million years ago.
Horsetails are characterized by their distinctive jointed, hollow, and ridged stems that are usually green and photosynthetic. The leaves are greatly reduced and non-photosynthetic, arranged in whorls fused into nodal sheaths. Some species have whorls of branches at the nodes, while others are unbranched.
Taxonomically, the living members of the genus Equisetum are divided into three subgenera: Paramochaete, Equisetum, and Hippochaete. The subgenus Equisetum contains species commonly referred to as “horsetails”, while the subgenus Hippochaete contains the “scouring rushes”.
Horsetails reproduce via spores rather than seeds. The spores are produced in cone-like structures called strobili at the tips of some of the stems. Many species have separate fertile, non-photosynthetic stems that emerge in early spring, while the green sterile stems grow later in the season.
Horsetails are widely distributed across the Northern Hemisphere, growing in a variety of moist, rich soil conditions. They are known to be difficult to control due to their extensive underground rhizomes and tubers. Horsetails have a range of uses, including in traditional medicine, as a natural abrasive, and in biodynamic farming practices.
