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meadow horsetail, prêle des prés, shady horsetail

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

Sheaths

somewhat elongate, 3–5 × 2–4 mm;

teeth 8–18, narrow, 1.5–4 mm, centers dark and margins white.

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

teeth 3–14, not articulate.

Aerial stems

dimorphic;

vegetative stems green, branched, 16–50 cm;

hollow center 1/6–1/3 stem diam.

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

lines of stomates single;

ridges 3–12.

Fertile stems

brown, with stomates, initially unbranched, persisting and becoming branched and green after spore discharge.

Branches

in regular whorls, horizontal to drooping, solid;

ridges 3;

valleys channeled; 1st internode of each branch equal to or longer than subtending stem sheath;

sheath teeth deltate.

Cone

apex pointed;

spores green, spheric.

2n

=216.

Equisetum pratense

Equisetum variegatum

Phenology Cones maturing in late spring.
Habitat Meadows, wet woodlands
Elevation 0–2000 m (0–6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CT; IA; IL; MA; ME; MI; MN; ND; NH; NY; VT; WI; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; n Eurasia to ne China; Japan in Hokkaido
[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

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. palustre, 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
Name authority Ehrhart: Hannover. Mag. 22: 138. (1784) Schleicher ex F. Weber & D. Mohr: Bot. Taschenb. 60, 447. (1807)
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