Great Horsetail
Scientific name: Equisetum telmateia Ehrh.
Family: Equisetaceae
MORPHOLOGY
Growth habit and size: Perennial pteridophyte, 40-200 cm tall.
Stem: Fertile stems are precocious, pale brown, measuring up to 40 cm with a diameter of 1-2 cm. Each node has leaf sheaths with 20-30 teeth along the margin, covering the entire internode. At the apex, they develop a spike-shaped raceme, about 6-8 cm long, formed by sporangia resembling small shields, where spores develop. Once spore dispersal occurs, green sterile stems emerge from the ground, which at full development often reach heights well over one meter. They are ribbed, deeply grooved and rough, with numerous branchings in dense spreading verticils that extend above the stem.
Leaves: They do not have leaves.
Flowers: They do not have flowers.
Fruits and seeds: Spherical spores produced between February and May.
DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT
It grows throughout Italy, from sea level up to 1,500 m. It is found in moist and cool soils, marshy areas, riverbanks, mixed forests.
USE
Thanks to its active principles such as iron salts, potassium, manganese, magnesium, and calcium, silicic acid, malic and oxalic acid, tannins, resin, bitter substance, equisetin saponoside, equisetin alkaloid, isoquercitrin, and luteolin flavonoids, it seems to have various properties, including hemostatic, astringent, purifying, diuretic, and externally, decongestant and vulnerary on hemorrhoids, nosebleeds, varicose veins, inflammation of the oral cavity, and skin wounds. These properties were exploited in folk medicine by preparing tinctures, decoctions, powders to be used depending on the case. Modern phytocosmetics also use this plant for nourishing and firming preparations for dry and aging skin, as well as cleansers and revitalizers for acne-prone skin. Before taking any plant-based product (medicinal or non-medicinal) for therapeutic or similar purposes, it is always advisable to consult a doctor.
In cooking, the very young shoots of fertile stems are used, before they harden with growth, and are consumed raw in salads or boiled or prepared in many other ways (fried, soufflés, meatballs).
Photo: Kindly provided by Claudio Farinati
