Equisetum pratense
Ehrh.
Meadow horsetail
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(c) Vladimir Atachkin, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Vladimir Atachkin
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What to Eat
Edible parts: Leaves - tea, Tubers
The roots can be eaten raw or cooked, though caution is advised regarding toxicity. One further report notes that Native Americans also ate the peeled stems, base of the plant, roots, and tubers raw, but cautions that this may be inadvisable.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
It is a temperate plant. In northern China it grows along the edges of streams between 500-2,800 m above sea level.
Asia, Britain, Canada, China, Europe, Japan, Korea, Lithuania, Mongolia, North America,Russia, Slovenia, USA,
How to Identify
A perennial horsetail reaching 60 cm (2 ft) tall. Hardy to UK zone 5. Grows in light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with mildly acidic, neutral, or mildly alkaline pH. Tolerates semi-shade or full sun and prefers moist soil. Seeds ripen in April.
How to Grow
Prefers a moist soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7.5. Plants are hardy to about -30°c. Plants have a deep and penetrating root system and can be invasive. If grown in the garden they are best kept in bounds by planting them in a large container which can be sunk into the ground.
Propagation: Spores should ideally be collected as soon as they ripen in spring and surface-sown immediately on sterile compost. Keep moist and pot up as soon as plants are large enough to handle. Germination is very difficult. Division is also possible; plants usually spread freely when well sited and rarely need assistance.
Medicinal Uses
Horsetails have an unusual chemistry compared to most other plants — they are rich in silica, contain several alkaloids including nicotine, and various minerals.
Other Uses
Dynamic accumulator.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Equisetum pratense, commonly known as meadow horsetail, shade horsetail or shady horsetail, is a widespread horsetail (Equisetophyta) and it is a pteridophyte. Shade horsetail can be commonly found in forests with tall trees or very thick foliage that can provide shade and tends to grow closer and thicker around streams, ponds and rivers. The specific epithet pratense is Latin, meaning pasture or meadow dwelling.
Notes
There are about 25 Equisetum species.
Names & Synonyms
Ozkabarzdis, Travniška preslica
References (6)
- Beckstrom-Sternberg, Stephen M., and James A. Duke. "The Foodplant Database." http://probe.nalusda.gov:8300/cgi-bin/browse/foodplantdb.(ACEDB version 4.0 - data version July 1994)
- Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 339
- Kuhnlein, H. V. and Turner, N. J., 1991, Traditional Plant Foods of Canadian Indigenous Peoples. Food and Nutrition in History and Anthropology Volume 8. Gordon and Breach. p 30
- Moerman, D. F., 2010, Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press. p 216
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
- Urgamal, M., et al, 2014, Conspectus of the Vascular Plants of Mongolia. Mongolia Academy of Sciences Institute of Botany and National University of Mongolia Department of Biology. p 31
