Family: Equisetaceae — horsetail family

Horsetails and scouring-rushes are perennial herbs with annual or evergreen stems. The hollow stems are jointed, grow from creeping rhizomes, and produce leaves that are fused into sheaths that wrap around the stem at the nodes. Some species have green, photosynthetic branches that create a bushy appearance, giving rise to the name "horsetail". There are no flowers or seeds, but rather a stroblis (spore cone) at the tip of the stem that produces spores. The spores are green.

This family’s genera in New England

• Equisetum

Visit this family in the Dichotomous Key

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