Equisetaceae : Horsetail Family

• A. Stems unbranched
• B. Stems evergreen
• C. Stems up to 1.2m tall: E.hyemale
• C. Stems less tham 50cm tall
• D. Stem Sheaths have 3-4 teeth, stem has no hollow cavity: E.scirpoides
• D. Stem Sheaths have 6-8 teeth, stem has hollow cavity: E.varieagatum
• B. Stems deciduous
• E. Stems central cavity 4/5 diameter of stem: E.fluviatile
• E. Stems central cavity no more than 2/3 diameter of stem: E.arvense
• A. Stems branched
• F. Branches branched again (forked): E. sylvacatum
• F. Branches unbranched
• G. Stems central cavity 4/5 diameter of stem: E.fluviatile
• G. Stems central cavity less than 4/5 diameter of stem
• H. First segment of branch is shorter than stem sheath
• I. Branches rigid, think, ascending: E.palutre
• I. Branches slender, often drooping: E.pratense
• H. First segment of branch is longer than stem sheath: E.arvense

Modern:

Industrial:

• Plants used for dying yarn. This is done by layering wool or yarn with Horsetail (Equisetum sps.) about 10:1 ratio of Horsetail:yarn. Boiling 30 minutes and drying in the shade. Horsetail dyed yarn can be redyed with other plants. Colours are improved with first dying by Horsetail.
• The course green stems used to scrub pots and clean dishes

Medicinal:

• Green plants because of thier silica content, are used for eye treatments and skin disorders. They are also taken internally, 1 mouthfull 4 times daily, to relieve painful or difficult urination or bleeding of the stomach or intestinal tract.
• Strile plants can be used to make an infusion that is said to be effective in combating offencive odour.

Food:

• Sterile stems are dried, ground to a powder and used for thickening or to make a mush. This powder has also been used to make a tea and is sold in some grocery stores.

Traditional Gwich'in:

Industrial:

• The course green stems used to scrub pots and clean dishes

Medicinal:

• The leaves and stems can be steamed for nasal congestion, cold, and stomach ailments.

Food:

• The root tubercles can be eaten raw

Traditional Other:

Folklore:

• The Aluet fed a decoction of these plants to a hated guest as a magical poison.

Industrial:

Medicinal:

• Plant decoction was used as a contraceptive, to initiate abortion, to stimulate menstration and to relieve bladder problems
• Stems bruised were used as a pultice for treating blood poisoning and to stop the swelling of eye lids.
• Ash of the stems of horsetails (Equisetum sps.) was used alone or with grease as a pultice on burns or sores.
• Roots were heated and placed against aching teeth.
• Sterile stalks were used as an astringent to stop the spitting of blood.
• A decoction of the stalks is said to be calcium rich and and were once concidered benificial as a hair wash or if taken as a tonic good for fingernails and teeth.

Food:

• Underground stems and roots are food to some native groups who classify them as berries. They are collected in the spring by water and are sweet and juicy then, much relished as the first fruit of the season. They are eaten raw, with or without lard and are sometimes put in Indian ice-cream.

• Mature sporophyte (Horsetail plant) with fertile and infertile stalks. (Left)
• The firtile stalk produces spores in sporangia (spore producing organs) located in strobilli (spore cone).(Top)
• Equisetum spores have coiled elaters atached to them. These elaters will uncoil ejecting the spore from the sporangia when conditions are right. (top right)
• Spores germinate into the gametophyte (gamete producing plant) thalus (plant body not differentiated into stems and leaves). (Top Right)
• Mature gametophytes produce microspores (male gametes, sperm) and megaspores (female gametes, egg). (Middle Right)
• When wet, such as after rain, the microspores (sperm) swim out of the microsporangium and into the megasporangium where one will fetilize the megaspore (egg). (Bottom)
• The sporophyte then grows out of the megasporangium and the gemetophyte thalus dies. (Bottom Left)
• The cycle begins again...