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Horsetail family (Equisetaceae)
Perennial with long rhizomes. Produces spore-bearing and infertile stems simultaneously. The former reach 25 cm in height, and are unbranched and initially whitish-yellow, though turning green and developing branches once spores have developed. Infertile stems may be 50 cm tall, and are bendy. Stems are ribbed. Side branches are not branched themselves, but are delicate and slightly downcurved, with 3-5 ribs. Spores are released Apr.-Jun.
Grows on moist, nutrient-rich soils. Occurs in oak-lime-hornbeam forest, especially in NE, but also in riparian forest and on clearings, as well as in scrub. Contains silica.
Descriptions devised by the team at the Independent Department of Forest Botany, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, i.e. L. Witkowska-Żuk, K. Marciszewska, W. Ciurzycki, A. Obidziński and P. Zaniewski.
