Common name: Common Horsetail, Horsetail
Equisetum arvense L. APNI* 
Description: Herb with annual stems from perennial pubescent rhizomes up to several metres long; sterile stems grooved, 5–40 cm high, green, usually regularly and abundantly branched, branches 4-angled; fertile stems shorter than the sterile stems, unbranched and appearing in spring before the sterile and die after the spores have been shed.
Leaves on main stems in whorls of 6–18, as many as the grooves, often dark brown on lower stem; sheaths 5–8 mm long; teeth 2–3 mm long.
Strobili 1–4 cm long.
Distribution and occurrence: Sometimes cultivated, rarely reported as naturalized but if it becomes established in gardens it spreads quickly by rhizomes and it is difficult to eradicate; recorded in the Sydney and Moonan districts. Native of S Afr., Eur., Asia, N Amer.
NSW subdivisions: *CC, *CT, *CWS
Text by G. J. Harden
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 1 (1990)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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