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Water Horsetail
Equisetum fluviatile
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Water Horsetail is a tall, soft green horsetail of shallow waters. It spreads by creeping underground stems and often forms dense stands along lake and river edges, ditches, and wet meadows. The upright hollow stems may end in a small cone that releases spores rather than flowers.
Did you know?
- It is the largest horsetail species in Finland.
- A natural hybrid with field horsetail occurs; it usually does not form cones and spreads only by its underground stems.
About the species
Identification
50–150 cm tall. Upright, smooth, soft, bright green stems 3–8 mm thick, very hollow. Usually unbranched; if present, side shoots are much thinner, in rings at the joints, pointing upward. Each joint has a tight, shiny sleeve with about 15–20 narrow, black-tipped teeth. Stem tips often carry a blunt, yellow‑brown cone. Easy to tell from field horsetail: this one stands in water, has few or no side branches, and the joint sleeves are tight and shiny with many black‑tipped teeth.
Plant group
Ferns, horsetails and clubmosses
Habitat
water
About the habitat
Grows rooted in shallow fresh water and very wet ground: lake and river margins, flood meadows, marshy fields, fens and ditches. It avoids brackish water. Occurs across the whole country.
Sources
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Equisetum fluviatile kz05.jpg
Text: Pinkka: Luonnonvaraiset lääkekasvit - Sanikkaiset, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.37717
Text: Pinkka: BIO-514 Pohjois-Suomen putkilokasvit - Saniaiset ja liekokasvit, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.37717
Text: Pinkka: Metsälajintuntemus - Sanikkaiset, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.37717
Text: Pinkka (Luomus), CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.37717
Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%A4rvikorte
