Equisetum palustre L., 1753

🇬🇧 Marsh Horsetail

🇫🇷 Prêle des marais

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Monilophytes
Class: Polypodiopsida
Subclass: Equisetidae
Order: Equisetales
Family: Equisetaceae
Genus: Equisetum
Subgenus: Equisetum
Species: Equisetum palustre

Presence

Present.

Conservation status

Red List (Metropolitan France): LC Least Concern
Red List (Europe): LC Least Concern

Notes

Possible confusion with E. arvense L., 1753, whose first branch internode is longer than the corresponding sheath, while that of E. palustre is shorter.

Diploid (2n = 216).

Hybridizes with:

E. arvense L., 1753 to produce E. × rothmaleri C.N.Page, 1973;
E. fluviatile L., 1753 to produce E. × dycei C.N.Page, 1981, P;
E. telmateia Ehrh., 1783 to produce E. × font-queri Rothm., 1944, P.

Fertile stems usually bear a single strobilus at the apex, but it is common to find stems with secondary strobili on the branches (sometimes called f. polystachyum). Secondary strobili also develop as a result of stem mutilation leading to the loss of the main strobilus.

Photographs

img/equisetum-palustre.webp — *Equisetum palustre* - Strobilus

img/equisetum-palustre-2.webp — *Equisetum palustre* - Fertile stem

img/equisetum-palustre-3.webp — *Equisetum palustre* - Sterile stems

img/equisetum-palustre-4.webp — *Equisetum palustre* - Sheaths

img/equisetum-palustre-11.webp — *Equisetum palustre* - Stem cross-section

img/equisetum-palustre-15.webp — *Equisetum palustre* - Spores

img/equisetum-palustre-16.webp — *Equisetum palustre* - Spores

img/equisetum-palustre-5.webp — *Equisetum palustre* - Strobilus

img/equisetum-palustre-6.webp — *Equisetum palustre* - Fertile stem

img/equisetum-palustre-7.webp — *Equisetum palustre* - Sheath

img/equisetum-palustre-8.webp — *Equisetum palustre* - Strobilus

img/equisetum-palustre-9.webp — *Equisetum palustre* - Fertile stem

img/equisetum-palustre-10.webp — *Equisetum palustre* - Sterile stems

img/equisetum-palustre-12.webp — *Equisetum palustre* - Form with multiple strobili (f. *polystachyum*)

img/equisetum-palustre-13.webp — *Equisetum palustre* - Main strobilus

img/equisetum-palustre-14.webp — *Equisetum palustre* - Secondary strobili on branches

img/equisetum-palustre-17.webp — *Equisetum palustre*

img/equisetum-palustre-19.webp — *Equisetum palustre*

img/equisetum-palustre-20.webp — *Equisetum palustre*

img/equisetum-palustre-21.webp — *Equisetum palustre* - Form with multiple strobili

img/equisetum-palustre-18.webp — *Equisetum palustre* - Form with multiple strobili, the stem has been cut and has lost its main strobilus

img/equisetum-palustre-22.webp — *Equisetum palustre* - Form with multiple strobili, decumbent stem with ascending branches

Sources

Badré, F., & Deschatres, R. (1979). Les Ptéridophytes de la France : liste commentée des espèces (taxinomie, cytologie, écologie et répartition générale). Candollea, 34(2), 379-457. https://doi.org/10.5169/seals-880127
Christenhusz, M., Lansdown, R.V., Bento Elias, R., Dyer, R., Ivanenko, Y., Rouhan, G., Rumsey, F., & Väre, H. (2017). Equisetum palustre (Europe assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2017. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/167859/85451475
Prelli, R., & Boudrie, M. (2024). Les fougères et plantes alliées d’Europe (2nd ed., p. 106). Biotope.
Tison, J.M., & de Foucault, B. (2014). Flora Gallica : Flore de France (p. 15). Biotope.