Equisetum praealtum Rafinesque. Common name: Tall Scouring-Rush, River Scouring-Rush. Phenology: May-Sep. Habitat: Riverbanks, alluvial floodplains. Distribution: Widespread in North America, and south to s. Mexico and El Salvador.
Origin/Endemic status: Native
Taxonomy Comments: As interpreted by Christenhusz et al. (2019), American material often treated as synonymous or varietally or subspecifically distinct from Eurasian E. hyemale warrants specific recognition, based on morphology and molecular phylogeny.
Synonymy ⓘ: = K4, POWO, Sf, Tat, Christenhusz et al (2019); = Equisetum hyemale L. ssp. affine (Engelm.) Calder & R.L.Taylor — AqW, Ar, Can, ETx1, FNA2, Il, Meso1, NE, NY, Tn, TxFerns, Va, Lin et al (2013); = Equisetum hyemale L. var. affine (Engelm.) A.A.Eaton — C, Fl1, GrPl, Md, Mo1, Pa, RAB, Tx, W, WH3; = Hippochaete hyemalis (L.) Bruhin ssp. affinis (Engelm.) W.A.Weber; < Equisetum hyemale L. — S13; < Equisetum hyemale L. var. affine (Engelm.) A.A.Eaton — NS; > Equisetum hyemale L. var. affine (Engelm.) A.A.Eaton — F, WV; > Equisetum hyemale L. var. elatum (Engelm.) Morton — G, WV; > Equisetum hyemale L. var. pseudohyemale (Farw.) Morton — G; > Equisetum hyemale L. var. robustum (A.Braun) A.A.Eaton — F. Basionym: Equisetum praealtum Raf. 1817
Links to other floras: = Equisetum hyemale ssp. affine - FNA2
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Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACW (name change)
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACW (name change)
- Great Plains: FACW (name change)
- Midwest: FACW (name change)
- Northcentral & Northeast: FAC (name change)
Heliophily ⓘ: 5
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© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
© Aidan Campos source | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Cressler: Equisetum hyemale, Morgan County, Alabama 1 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
© Joey Shaw source | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Cressler: Equisetum hyemale subsp. affine, Spring Run, below Sinking Cove Cave, Sinking Cove, Franklin County, Tennessee 1 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Cressler: Equisetum hyemale, Calf Creek Canyon, Calf Creek Recreation Area, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Garfield County, Utah 1 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷Feedback
Horticultural Information
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Height: 2-5 ft.
plant sale text: Scouring rush (commonly called rough horsetail) is evergreen, the masses of its stems appearing very dark green in winter. It forms dense clonal colonies, and is often found in wet woods, moist hillsides and the sides of water bodies. Keep in mind that it is best to plant tall scouring-rush in a container as it has the tendency to spread to form large colonies in the wild. The rough bristles have a high silica content and were used to scour or clean pots, hence the common name of scouring rush. These unique plants are living relics from an age millions of years before the dinosaurs existed!
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native range: North America
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