The Branched Horsetail

The branched horsetail (Equisetum ramosissimum) is a plant belonging to the horsetail family (Equisetaceae). The plant is native to Eurasia and North Africa. In the Netherlands for the plant in sandy places along the rivers. The species is on the Dutch Red List of plants as very rare, but stable in number or increased in number. The plant has 2n = 216 chromosomes.


The plant is 30-70 cm tall and produces rhizomes with hairy sheaths. Only the single branched stems. The gray-green, slightly rough, horizontal to erect, hollow stems when they are alone to 9 mm thick and when they occur in bundles up to 4 mm. The central stalk cavity is half to two thirds of the stem thickness. The semicircular stem ribs with transverse gravel humps on either side have a single row of stomata, which are visible as white dots. The wreaths opposite leaves consist of small scales, where the leaf sheaths are mostly fused to a stalk sheath. The up to 2 cm long, green stengelscheden sometimes indistinct brownish bands. The narrow triangular and higher on the stem awl-shaped, dunvliezige, twisted teeth fall off early.


In May to August detect spikes appear at the top of the stems. The pointed ears are up to 2.5 cm long when ripe, dry them and then fall off. The ear consists sporangioforen. At the bottom of the shield-shaped sporangiofoor are three p.m. to eight p.m. trawl sporangiën which the traces are located.


The tracks have chlorophyll and two jump wires (elateren), in the dry state to the spore are wrapped when they get wet they stretch and push the spores out of the ear. There are two types of tracks, male and female. The spores grow into bacteria for containing chlorophyll (prothallia). At this stage takes place after fertilization the ponytail into a complete plant can grow. The prothallia bound to a very open habitat.




Source: http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertakte_paardenstaart

See also: International Flower Delivery, Florist