Equisetum pratense Ehrh.
meadow horsetail
Equisetaceae (Horsetail family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Jamie Fenneman     (Photo ID #6939)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Equisetum pratense
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

Species Information

General:
Perennial from a smooth, blackish rhizome.
Stems:
10-60 cm tall, 1-2 mm thick, their central cavity 1/2 the stem diameter, regularly and abundantly branched, the sheaths with 10-20 narrow teeth, the teeth dark with white margins; branches in regular whorls, triangular in cross-section, the 1st internodes of each branch shorter than the corresponding sheaths.
Cones:
1-4 cm long, rounded at the tip.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Illustration

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Equisetum pratense

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Avg

Min

Max

Elevation (metres)
907 0 2300
Slope Gradient (%)
7 0 205

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

32 0 360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
5 1 8
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
D
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
1112
Modal BEC Zone Class
SBS

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

BAFA(3), BWBS(263), CWH(40), ESSF(112), ICH(202), IDF(31), MH(1), MS(85), PP(5), SBPS(14), SBS(271), SWB(20)

Habitat and Range

Mesic to wet forests, riverbanks, meadows, bog margins, from the montane to subalpine zones; frequent in BC east of the Coast-Cascade Mountains, infrequent in SC BC; N to AK, YT and NT, E to MI and S to NJ, MI, IA, SD, MT and WA; Eurasia.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia