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marsh horsetail, prêle des marais

northern scouring-rush, prêle panachée, variegated horsetail, variegated scouring-rush

Sheaths

elongate, 4–9 × 2–5 mm;

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

green with black apical band, spreading, 1–6 × 1–5 mm;

teeth 3–14, not articulate.

Aerial stems

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

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

vallecular canals nearly as large.

persisting more than a year, unbranched, 6–55 cm;

lines of stomates single;

ridges 3–12.

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.

Cone

apex pointed;

spores green, spheric.

2n

=216.

=216.

Equisetum palustre

Equisetum variegatum

Phenology Cones maturing in summer.
Habitat Marshes and swamps
Elevation 0–1500m (0–4900ft)
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
CO; CT; ID; IL; IN; MA; ME; MI; MN; MT; NH; NY; OR; SD; UT; VT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; Europe; Asia
[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.)

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Sheath teeth erect, with prominent white margins.
subsp. variegatum
1. Sheath teeth incurved, with obscure margins or all black.
subsp. alaskanum
Source FNA vol. 2. FNA vol. 2.
Parent taxa Equisetaceae > Equisetum > subg. Hippochaete Equisetaceae > Equisetum > subg. Equisetum
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. fluviatile, E. hyemale, E. laevigatum, E. palustre, E. pratense, E. ramosissimum, E. scirpoides, E. sylvaticum, E. telmateia, E. ×ferrissii, E. ×litorale, E. ×mackaii, E. ×nelsonii
Subordinate taxa
E. variegatum subsp. alaskanum, E. variegatum subsp. variegatum
Synonyms E. palustre var. americanum
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1061. (1753) Schleicher ex F. Weber & D. Mohr: Bot. Taschenb. 60, 447. (1807)
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