Horsetail plant
Picture by Rror, www.wikipedia.com
Horsetail (Equisetum sp.) is a living fossil. The plant’s history traces back to the Paleozoic era, where it dominated the forest understory. The strangely tubular stem is surrounded by whorls of bristle-like leaves. Unlike other plants it reproduces using spores.
I find these plants growing in moist environments near or around water. Although people claim the plant is edible and has medicinal uses, articles I have read warn against consuming it. The warnings stem from analysis of the plant’s chemical makeup along with a small amount of research.
I use the plant as field-expedient sandpaper. The plant absorbs silicates from the soil and incorporates them into the structure of its stem. I have split the stems of older plants and used the outer surface to sand carved wood. It yields a surprisingly smooth finish!
Survival instructors have told me that, in an emergency, the hollow stem can be used as a straw to suck water from difficult to access crevices. I have not tried this technique, but it seems reasonable that it can be done.
Here is a very nice article about the plant by Garrett McAuliffe. I am not as sanguine about its medicinal uses. But I thought the article was interesting.
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