Flora of North America species comparison

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Equisetum palustre

Equisetum fluviatile

marsh horsetail, prêle des marais

pipes, prêle fluviatile, river horsetail, swamp horsetail, water horsetail
Sheaths

elongate, 4–9 × 2–5 mm;

teeth dark, 5–10, narrow, 2–5 mm, margins white, scarious.

squarish in face view, ca. 4–10 × 4–10 mm;

teeth black, occasionally with narrow white border, 12–24, narrow, 2–3 mm.
Aerial stems

monomorphic, green, branched or unbranched, 20–80 cm;

hollow center small, to 1/3 stem diam.;

vallecular canals nearly as large.

monomorphic, green, unbranched or branched, 35–115 cm;

hollow center large, to 9/10 stem diam.;

vallecular canals absent.
Branches

when present only from midstem nodes, spreading, hollow;

ridges 4–6;

valleys rounded; 1st internode of each branch shorter than subtending stem sheath;

sheath teeth narrow.

when present only from midstem nodes, spreading, hollow, ridges 4–6, valleys rounded; 1st internode of each branch shorter than subtending stem sheath;

sheath teeth narrow.
2n

=216.

=216.

Equisetum palustre

Equisetum fluviatile
Phenology Cones maturing in summer. Cones maturing in summer.
Habitat Marshes and swamps Standing in water, in ponds, ditches, marshes, swales
Elevation 0–1500m (0–4900ft) 0–1500 m (0–4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; ID; ME; MI; MN; MT; ND; NH; NY; OR; PA; VT; WA; WI; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; Eurasia s to Himalayas; n China; Korea; Japan
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CT; DC; DE; IA; ID; IL; IN; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MT; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; SD; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; SPM; Alaska including the Aleutian Islands; Eurasia s to n Italy; China; Korea; Japan
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The name Equisetum palustre var. americanum has been used for specimens from the flora that have longer teeth than those from Eurasia.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 2. FNA vol. 2.
Parent taxa Equisetaceae > Equisetum > subg. Hippochaete Equisetaceae > Equisetum > subg. Hippochaete
Sibling taxa
E. arvense, E. fluviatile, E. hyemale, E. laevigatum, E. pratense, E. ramosissimum, E. scirpoides, E. sylvaticum, E. telmateia, E. variegatum, E. ×ferrissii, E. ×litorale, E. ×mackaii, E. ×nelsonii
E. arvense, E. hyemale, E. laevigatum, E. palustre, E. pratense, E. ramosissimum, E. scirpoides, E. sylvaticum, E. telmateia, E. variegatum, E. ×ferrissii, E. ×litorale, E. ×mackaii, E. ×nelsonii
Synonyms E. palustre var. americanum E. limosum
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1061. (1753) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1062. (1753)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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