Equisetum ramosissimum
{{Short description|Species of vascular plant in the horsetail family Equisetaceae}}
{{For|the South American species described by Kunth|Equisetum giganteum}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Equisetum ramosissimum Enfoque 2010-7-17 SierradeAlfacar.jpg
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| parent = Equisetum subg. Hippochaete
| genus = Equisetum
| species = ramosissimum
| authority = Desf.{{citation |title=Equisetum ramosissimum |work=The Plant List |url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/tro-26600163 |access-date=2016-01-05}}
| subdivision_ranks = Subspecies
| subdivision =
- E. ramosissimum var. ramosissimum
- E. ramosissimum var. huegelii (syn. E. ramosissimum subsp. debile, E. debile)
}}
Equisetum ramosissimum {{small|Desf.}}, known as branched horsetail,{{BSBI 2007 |accessdate=2014-10-17 }} is a species of evergreen horsetail (genus Equisetum, subgenus Hippochaete).
Description
Horsetail with untidy branches from the lower parts (which may be prominent or not apparent), with or without main upright stems, able to form a colony from underground roots. Rocky ground tends to constrict root-spread and favours a bushy appearance, unrocky ground favours more slender plants arising from spreading roots, and trampling or cutting affects shape. The general colour may have a blue-grey tinge, sometimes quite strongly, the stem when broad is fairly hollow and compressible, narrower branches rather tough and wiry, the stem ridges are conspicuous (not fine and obscure) and slightly rough. The fertile cones when visible are from stems arising as part of the main plant (not arising early separately) and have pointed cone tips (sometimes obscure).
Habitat: Damp places (stream banks, moist meadows, watered edges, path edges) and shingle.{{cite book |title=The illustrated Field Guide to Ferns and Allied Plants of the British Isles, 1991 |author=Clive Jermy}}{{cite book |title=Flora Europaea |author=Tutin}}{{cite book |title=Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands, vol. 1 |author=Davis}}
Varieties and ranges
- Equisteum ramosissimum var. ramosissimum (syn. subsp. ramosissimum) has more obvious branching and persistent sheath teeth – Europe (except far N), W and S Asia, Africa (except mid-west), with some local introduction in the US.[https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77178023-1 Plants of the World Online (with map) (ssp ramosissimum)]
- Equisetum ramosissimum var. huegelii (Milde) Christenh. & Husby (syns. subsp. debile, E. debile) inconspicuously branched, with sheath teeth falling early or persistent – SE Asia to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea[https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77197073-1 Plants of the World Online (with map) (ssp huegelii = debile)][http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=233500623 Flora of China]
References
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