Field Horsetail
When spring doesn’t deliver flowers as fast as I want my attention often gets diverted to things easily overlooked. Earlier this month Field Horsetails were about the only thing besides moss and lichens that were feeling that reproductive urge. Back on April 9th I took a photo of a horsetail that never made it to a post because there were more interesting things to write home about. I did make a desktop background and used it for a while but actually following up on the plant was not high on my list. I did take more photos of it over time – stashed away waiting for a rainy day.
Not quite what you expected? – this is the spore bearing shoot. Later the more familiar green shoots will emerge.
Interesting looking but not really inspiring. At least not yet.
Here’s another photo taken on April 16th. It’s starting to give a hint to why I’ve followed it up.
There are two forms of shoots. The spore bearing stems precedes the sterile bushy horsetail that most people are familiar with. As the fertile stems start to fade the green ones begin to emerge.
Emerging green tails before leafing out.
| On April 24 I took the last photo of the spore head.
You can say WOW now. Field Horsetails are very common and invasive. Their range covers nearly the whole northern hemisphere. The plant grows and spreads from rhizomes and just pulling the plant will leave the root behind ready to sent up another shoot. It grows in wet to dry areas, sunny to shady and in fact I can’t think of places it won’t grow given a chance. I like them but won’t invite them to any garden party, once they arrive they don’t go away. It must be the wide spread distribution that’s responsible for this horsetail’s many common names. AKA: Scouring Rush, Bottlebrush, Fox’s Tail, Horn Pipes, Snake Grass, Mare’s Tail, Horse Pipes, Shave Grass, Paddy’s Pipe, Pinetop, Poor-Man’s-Tinker-Toys and Pewterwort (once used to polish pewter). And I’m sure there are others, including some colorful words not suited for polite company. This thing has more names than I have endearments for my wife. And I love my wife, really I do. |
Equisetum arvense
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April 28th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
WOW! A big WOW! What a story! Stunning picture of a head! If you didn’t touch it, we would never know how it really looks! Thank you!
April 28th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
I’ve never seen anything like this before, but I can say that about a lot of things you post. I thought of an ear of corn when I saw the first picture too. I like these strange ones.
April 28th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
I thought of the ear of corn as well and hoping that you have not mentioned. I’ll then pretend I am slightly imaginative than you.
A big WOW!!! You are same as me.
April 28th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
yes, a big WOW! they look strange, but so strangely beautiful. i like all your photos of them, they show its character.
April 28th, 2009 at 8:09 pm
The Macro lens is just an awesome thing! I wish we had one(-: That Horse Tail really is cool!
In one picture it looked like asparagus(-:
Interesting it has so many names. I wonder why that is.
Thanks for sharing(-:
April 28th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
WiseAcre- Do you live in Siberia? How come I never seem to see these kinds of things? Maybe it requires I leave the house a little more often. Soon, I promise.
April 29th, 2009 at 12:15 am
Wow, that’s fantastic! I don’t think I’ve seen anything like that before.
April 29th, 2009 at 11:37 am
I am intrigued by your pictures. What kind of camera do you use? Lens? Any tips on how you get such clear and vivid close-ups?
April 29th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
Cool!
May 3rd, 2009 at 5:34 pm
I do need to get a different camera! I saw these in the flood debris line in our field and was going to look them up and never did. So that’s bottlebrush!. I don’t know if I’ve added you to my fave or reader–they are all kind of blurring together right now–but if I haven’t your blog is going there–so be warned.