Smooth horsetail (Plants of the Middle Rio Grande Bosque)

Smooth horsetail

Equisetum laevigatum

Summary ⁶

Equisetum laevigatum is a species of horsetail known by common names, including smooth horsetail and smooth scouring rush. This plant is native to much of North America except for northern Canada and southern Mexico. It is usually found in moist areas in sandy and gravelly substrates.

Botanical Information ⁷

Equisetum laevigatum, also known as smooth horsetail, grows as narrow green and hollow stems sometimes reaching heights exceeding 1.5 meters. The leaves at the nodes are small, scale-like brownish sheaths. The stem is green and does not have many branches. It almost looks like a cat tail but they’re smaller and a lot smoother. There are around 20 species of smooth horsetail species. Horsetails are spore-producing plants and reproduce from structures called strobili or vegetatively by rhizomes which are like roots.

Ecological Information ⁸

Smooth horsetail is native throughout the mid-and western-U.S., including New Mexico. Horsetails prefer wet habitats, such as marshes, swamps, and edges of the forest close to rivers and streams. The strobili, or spore-producing parts of the plant equivalent to a flower, mature in spring through early summer.

Ethnobotanical Information ⁸

The horsetail is used for fluid retention (edema), kidneys, and bladder stones. Also it is used for urinary tract infections, the inability to control urination, and general disturbances of kidneys and bladder. Due to the content of silica in the plant is can be used to support skin and healthy hair. Perhaps, for this reason, the Costanoan people would use a decoction of the stalks in a hair wash. Their high silica content also makes them good for cleaning pots and polishing wood. The Hopi would eat the root stalks which were considered a delicacy. (Note: Ethnobotanical reports often lack important contextual information and relevant traditional ecological knowledge.)

References ⁹

http://naeb.brit.org/uses/species/1424/
https://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/Fern%20Enlarged%20Photo%20Pages/equisetum%20laevigatum.htm
Bosque Field Guide
Cartron, Lightfoot, Mygatt, Brantley, Lowrey. (2008). A Field Guide to the Plants and Animals of the Middle Rio Grande Bosque. (p. 31). New Mexico, University of New Mexico Press.

About the Author ¹⁰

Student author*: Kyler (age 12), Mia (age 12), Angel (age 13), and Kaylie (age 12) from Albuquerque Sign Language Academy

*The entries in this field guide have been edited by Yerba Mansa Project staff to ensure that they contain quality, fact-checked content and standardized formatting. https://yerbamansaproject.org/

Sources and Credits

(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/35478170@N08/6127553746
(c) Courtney Kelly Jett, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Courtney Kelly Jett
(c) James Bailey, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by James Bailey
(c) Rob Curtis, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Rob Curtis
Adapted by caseynm from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equisetum_laevigatum
Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
Adapted by Hannah from a work by (c) caseynm, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) caseynm, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

iNat Map

Habitat	wet
Uses	medicinal
Type	forb
Stem	hollow

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