Equisetum giganteum

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Equisetum giganteum
Equisetum giganteum 2 ies.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Division: Polypodiophyta
Class: Polypodiopsida
Subclass: Equisetidae
Order: Equisetales
Family: Equisetaceae
Genus: Equisetum
Subgenus: E. subg. Hippochaete
Species:
E. giganteum
Binomial name
Equisetum giganteum
L.
Synonyms [2]
  • Equisetum bolivianumGand.
  • Equisetum martiiMilde
  • Equisetum pyramidaleGoldm.
  • Equisetum ramosissiumumKunth non Desf.
  • Equisetum schaffneriMilde
  • Equisetum xylochaetumMett.

Equisetum giganteum, with the common name southern giant horsetail, is a species of horsetail native to South America and Central America, from central Chile east to Brazil and north to southern Mexico.

Contents

Description

It is one of the largest horsetails, growing 2–5 metres (6.6–16.4 ft) tall, exceeded only by the closely allied Equisetum myriochaetum (up to 8 metres (26 ft) relying on surrounding plants' support. One forma or variety has reached a height of thirtysix feet (eleven meters) in Venezuela, [3] and a height of 39 feet (twelve meters) in the Pantanal region of Brazil. [4] The stems are the stoutest of any horsetail, 1–2 cm diameter (up to 3.5 cm (1.33 inches) in diameter in some populations), [5] and bear numerous whorls of very slender branches; these branches are not further branched, but some terminate in spore cones. Unlike some other horsetails, it does not have separate photosynthetic sterile and non-photosynthetic spore-bearing stems.

Populations from northern Chile with very stout stems up to 3.5 cm diameter have sometimes been treated as a separate species Equisetum xylochaetum, [6] but this is not widely regarded as distinct. The thickest specimen to be reported by a trained botanist is 1.57 inches (four centimeters) by Dr. Thomas Schoepke on the Lluta River near Arica, Chile circa 1999–2000. [7] [8]

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<i>Equisetum</i> Genus of vascular plants in the family Equisetaceae

Equisetum is the only living genus in Equisetaceae, a family of vascular plants that reproduce by spores rather than seeds.

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<i>Abies concolor</i> Species of conifer tree

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<i>Equisetum fluviatile</i> Species of vascular plant in the horsetail family Equisetaceae

Equisetum fluviatile, the water horsetail or swamp horsetail, is a vascular plant that commonly grows in dense colonies along freshwater shorelines or in shallow water in ponds, swamps, ditches, and other sluggish or still waters with mud bottoms. It is a perennial herbaceous species, growing 30–100 cm tall with erect dark green stems 2–8 mm in diameter, smooth, with about 10–30 fine ridges. At each joint, the stem has a whorl of tiny, black-tipped scale leaves 5–10 mm long. Many, but not all, stems also have whorls of short ascending and spreading branches 1–5 cm long, with the longest branches on the lower middle of the stem. The side branches are slender, dark green, and have 1–8 nodes with a whorl of five scale leaves at each node. The water horsetail has the largest central hollow of the horsetails, with 80% of the stem diameter typically being hollow.

<i>Calamites</i> Extinct genus of vascular plants in the Order Equisetales

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Equisetidae</span> Subclass of ferns

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<i>Equisetum sylvaticum</i> Species of vascular plant in the horsetail family Equisetaceae

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<i>Equisetum arvense</i> Species of horsetail

Equisetum arvense, the field horsetail or common horsetail, is an herbaceous perennial plant in the Equisetidae (horsetails) sub-class, native throughout the arctic and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It has separate sterile non-reproductive and fertile spore-bearing stems growing from a perennial underground rhizomatous stem system. The fertile stems are produced in early spring and are non-photosynthetic, while the green sterile stems start to grow after the fertile stems have wilted and persist through the summer until the first autumn frosts. It is sometimes confused with mare's tail, Hippuris vulgaris.

<i>Equisetum palustre</i> Species of vascular plant in the horsetail family Equisetaceae

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<i>Equisetum telmateia</i> Species of vascular plant in the horsetail family Equisetaceae

Equisetum telmateia, the great horsetail or northern giant horsetail, is a species of Equisetum (puzzlegrass) with an unusual distribution, with one subspecies native to Europe, western Asia and northwest Africa, and a second subspecies native to western North America. The North American subspecies is often simply but ambiguously called "giant horsetail", but that name may just as well refer to the Latin American Equisetum giganteum and Equisetum myriochaetum.

<i>Equisetum laevigatum</i> Species of horsetail plant

Equisetum laevigatum is a species of horsetail in the family Equisetaceae. It is known by the common names 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. It may be annual or perennial. It grows narrow green stems sometimes reaching heights exceeding 1.5 meters. The leaves at the nodes are small, scale-like brownish sheaths and there are occasionally small, spindly branches. The stems are topped with rounded cone-shaped sporangia.

<i>Equisetum hyemale</i> Species of horsetail plant

Equisetum hyemale is a perennial herbaceous fern in the horsetail family Equisetaceae. It is a native plant throughout the Holarctic Kingdom, found in North America, Europe, and northern Asia.

<i>Equisetum variegatum</i> Circumpolar species of horsetail plant

Equisetum variegatum, commonly known as variegated horsetail or variegated scouring rush, is a species of vascular plant in the horsetail family Equisetaceae. It is native to the Northern Hemisphere where it has a circumpolar distribution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant horsetail</span> Index of plants with the same common name

Giant horsetails are usually living species of horsetail that grow to very large sizes, more than 1.5 metres.

<i>Equisetum scirpoides</i> Species of vascular plant in the horsetail family Equisetaceae

Equisetum scirpoides Michx., Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 281 (1803). 2 n = 216.The smallest of the currently occurring representatives of the genus Equisetum (horsetail).

<i>Equisetum ramosissimum</i> Species of vascular plant in the horsetail family Equisetaceae

Equisetum ramosissimumDesf., known as branched horsetail, is a species of evergreen horsetail.

Dendrocalamus giganteus, commonly known as giant bamboo, is a giant tropical and subtropical, dense-clumping species native to Southeast Asia. It is one of the largest bamboo species in the world.

References

  1. Christenhusz, M. (2019). "Equisetum giganteum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T156392750A83689185. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T156392750A83689185.en . Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  2. Tropicos.org , retrieved 5 January 2016
  3. Botting-Hemsley, W. (1888). Biologica Centrali-Americana - Botany - Volume 3. London: R.H. Porter and DuLau & Co. p. 699.
  4. Decker, Joao S. (1936). Aspectos Biologicos da Flora Brasileira. Sao Leopoldo, Brazil: Rottermund & Co. p. 538.
  5. Husby, Chad. "How large Can Giant Equisetum Become?" . Retrieved August 25, 2004.
  6. Equisetum xylochaetum at Flora Brasiliensis online
  7. Correspondence with Equisetum specialist Chad Husby of Florida international University.
  8. Husby, Chad (n.d.). Equisetum/HoeLarge.html "How Large can Giant Equisetum Become?" . Retrieved August 25, 2004.{{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)[ dead link ]