Burke: Equisetum scirpoides

	Equisetum scirpoides
	sedgelike horsetail, dwarf scouring rush
Habit	Rhizomatous, evergreen perennial, the stems all alike, prostrate or ascending, firm, 0.7-2.5 dm. tall and 0.5-1 mm. thick, 6-grooved and angled, alternating grooves shallower and deeper; stomates in two rows in each principal furrow, sunken below the level of the epidermis; central cavity none; sheaths short and flaring, with a broad, black band above the green base; teeth of the sheath 3, thin and fragile, bristle-tipped, 1-2 mm. long.
Leaves	Unbranched, or with a few long branches from near the base.
Spores	Cone small, 3-5 mm. long, sub-sessile, sharp pointed.

	Equisetum scirpoides
Habitat	Moist, swampy places, especially in coniferous forests.
Distribution	Occurring east of the Cascades crest in northeastern Washington; Alaska to Washington, east across the northern U.S.and Canada to the Atlantic Coast; circumboreal. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Origin	Native
Conservation status	Not of concern
Sibling taxa	E. arvense, E. ×ferrissii, E. fluviatile, E. hyemale, E. laevigatum, E. ×litorale, E. ×mackaii, E. ×nelsonii, E. palustre, E. sylvaticum, E. telmateia, E. variegatum
Web links	Local floras: BC, WA Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Equisetum scirpoides

sedgelike horsetail, dwarf scouring rush

Habit

Rhizomatous, evergreen perennial, the stems all alike, prostrate or ascending, firm, 0.7-2.5 dm. tall and 0.5-1 mm. thick, 6-grooved and angled, alternating grooves shallower and deeper; stomates in two rows in each principal furrow, sunken below the level of the epidermis; central cavity none; sheaths short and flaring, with a broad, black band above the green base; teeth of the sheath 3, thin and fragile, bristle-tipped, 1-2 mm. long.

Leaves

Unbranched, or with a few long branches from near the base.

Spores

Cone small, 3-5 mm. long, sub-sessile, sharp pointed.

Equisetum scirpoides

Habitat

Moist, swampy places, especially in coniferous forests.

Distribution

Occurring east of the Cascades crest in northeastern Washington; Alaska to Washington, east across the northern U.S.and Canada to the Atlantic Coast; circumboreal.

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Origin

Native

Conservation status

Not of concern

Sibling taxa