Fam : Equisetaceae
Spe.: Equisetum hiemale L.
Common name: winter horsetail
English: Rough Horsetail, Dutch Rush
German: Überwinternder Schachtelhalm
Etymology: the genus name derives from the Latin “equus “', horse, and “saeta”, silk, meaning "horsehair" due to the appearance of the stems. The species name “hiemalis” derives from Latin and means winter, because its stems persist even during the winter.
Description: it is a perennial aquatic plant, robust and resistant, consisting of thick erect and hollow stems of green color with brown bands on each internode.
The root system, called rhizome, is black, underground and long creeping. From this, erect and hollow stems emerge, dark green in color with brown bands on each internode. The stems are generally simple and very rough due to the abundance of small, short, hard hairs containing silica, which develop on the ribs. The “straws” can reach a diameter of over 1 cm and a height of 1 m. Fertile stems cannot be distinguished from sterile ones. Like ferns, H. hiemale has no flowers and multiplies vegetatively or by emitting spores. In summer, at the end of the fertile stems, which are shorter than the sterile ones, strobili appear, brown inflorescences in the shape of an oval spike, which carry the spores.
During the winter, the plant is absolutely not afraid of frost, so much so that it can maintain its green color.
Habitat: it is a plant native to North America, Europe and northern Asia
Properties and uses: In the past, E. hyemale was a much more widespread plant than today. The stems of this species were once used for their abrasive properties to clean wood and copper.
Notes and Curiosities: E. hyemale is an ancient plant that has existed on Earth for over 300 million years. It has been found fossilized in rocks dating back to the Silurian period.
It is able to absorb excess nutrients from water, helping to keep the environment where it grows clean and healthy. It is usually grown in water or in moist soil and watered regularly. In addition, it is able to provide oxygen to the water, helping to improve the health of fish and other aquatic animals.
In the Heller garden it is easily found along waterways. Its sturdy green stems form a dense carpet that creates a natural and relaxing atmosphere in ponds and, always maintaining this dark green color throughout the year, it remains a very elegant plant to the eye of the visitor.