| Menu list goes here |
Herbal Database Search Results
Back
to: Pathways Main Search
Page For Metaphysical uses
visit The Witchs Haven
Equisetum fluviatile
| Common name: |
Swamp Horsetail |
Family: |
Equisetaceae |
| Author: |
L. |
Botanical references: |
17 |
| Synonyms: |
Equisetum limosum (L.), Equisetum heliocharis (Ehrh.) |
| Known Hazards: |
Large quantities of the plant can be toxic. This is because it contains the enzyme thiaminase[172], a substance that can rob the body of the vitamin B complex[65]. In small quantities this enzyme will do no harm to people eating an adequate diet that is rich in vitamin B, though large quantities can cause severe health problems. The enzyme is destroyed by heat or thorough drying, so cooking the plant will remove the thiaminase[172].
The plant also contains equisetic acid - see the notes on medicinal uses for more information[213]. |
| Range: |
Arctic and temperate regions of Europe, including Britain, N. America and Asia. |
| Habitat: |
Shallow water in lakes, ponds and ditches[17]. |
| Edibility Rating (1-5): |
2 | Medicinal Rating (1-5): | 2 |
| Other Possible Synonyms: | From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below. |
| E. fluviatile var. limosum[B,P]
E. fluviatilis[E]
E. heleocharis[E]
E. maximum[H]
|
| Other Common Names: | From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below. |
| Great Horsetail [H], Holpijp [D], River Horsetail [H], Water Horsetail [B,P,L], |
| Epithets: | From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets |
|
fluviatile = from a river
|
| Systematics: | From a USDA Plants Database |
|
Order: Equisetales. Horsetail family
|
| Other Range Info: |
From the Ethnobotany Database |
|
Britainrainian
Mexico
|
| Noxious, Invasive and Injurious Weeds | From USDA PLANTS database, Weeds Australia
, DEFRA Injurious Weeds | | Listed as noxious/invasive for: New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmaina, Queensland. |
Physical Characteristics
Perennial growing to 1.2m. It is hardy to zone 2. The seeds ripen from June to July. We rate it 2/5 for edibility and
2/5 for medicinal use.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils.
The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.
It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.
It requires moist or wet soil and can grow in water.
Habitats and Possible Locations
Pond, Bog Garden.Edible Uses
Root
Stem.
Strobil (the fertile shoots in spring) - cooked[2, 4, 85]. Used as an
asparagus substitute, though it is neither palatable nor nutritious[4].
Caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Roots - cooked[4, 85, 105]. The roots contain a nutritious starch[2].
Caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Medicinal Uses
Disclaimer
Styptic.
Horsetails have an unusual chemistry compared to most other
plants[238]. They are rich in silica, contain several alkaloids (including
nicotine) and various minerals[238]. The plant is styptic[61]. The barren
stems are used, they are most active when fresh but can also be dried and
sometimes the ashes of the plant are used[4]. A decoction applied externally
will stop the bleeding of wounds and promote healing[4].
Other Uses
None known
Cultivation details
Prefers a moist soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7.5[200].
Plants are hardy to about -30° c[200].
Plants have a deep and penetrating root system and can be invasive. If grown
in the garden they are best kept in bounds by planting them in a large
container which can be sunk into the ground[200].
Propagation
Spores - best collected as soon as they are ripe in the spring and
surface-sown immediately on a sterile compost. Keep moist and pot up as soon
as the plants are large enough to handle. Very difficult[200].
Division. The plants usually spread very freely when well sited and should
not really need any assistance.
Suppliers
For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.
Web References
References for Equisetum fluviatilis (a possible synonym).
References for Equisetum heleocharis (a possible synonym).
References for Equisetum limosum (a possible synonym).
- [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
References for Equisetum maximum (a possible synonym).
- [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
References for equisetum fluviatile (a possible synonym).
See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.
Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.
[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
[65] Frohne. D. and Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Wolfe 1984 ISBN 0723408394
Brilliant. Goes into technical details but in a very readable way. The best work on the subject that I've come across so far.
[85] Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9
A superb book. Very readable, it gives the results of the authors experiments with native edible plants.
[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
[172] Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.
A nice guide to some useful plants in that area.
[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[213] Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980 ISBN 0-449-90589-6
A nice book to read though it is difficult to look up individual plants since the book is divided into separate sections dealing with the different medicinal uses plus a section on edible plants. Common names are used instead of botanical.
[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
Readers Comments
Back to: Pathways Home page,
Main Search Page
Help
Bibliography
Plant information taken from the
Plants For A Future -
Species Database.
Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963 This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Equisetum+fluviatile
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Equisetum+fluviatile
|
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons License.
(You can copy, distribute, display this works but: Attribution is required, its for Non-Commercial purposes, and it's Share Alike (GNUish/copyleft) i.e. has an identical license.)
We also ask that you let us know (michael@thewitchshaven.com) if
you link to, redistribute, make a derived work or do anything groovy with this information.
|
|
& (c) 2007 