Horsetail

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈhɔː(ɹ)s.teɪl/

Definitions

1. A plant recognized for its hollow, segmented stems that often grow in damp locations, which reproduces via spores and belongs to a unique botanical genus
2. This type of vegetation is notable for its jointed stems and whorled branch pattern, frequently found in moist habitats and known for a spore-based reproduction process
3. A spore-bearing plant with hollow, segmented stems frequently found in wet environments

Etymology: The name is about as literal as plant names get: "horse" plus "tail", recorded in Middle English as "horsetaile" and "horstaile". The resemblance is easy to see once you look at the plant. Its jointed, bristly green stems look like a tufted animal tail, and the slender, hollow shoots rising from the ground suggest the tail's length and shape. Horsetails are unusual among familiar plants because they are not flowering plants at all. They reproduce by spores, the same basic method as ferns, and their genus has survived as one of the few living lineages of a group that once formed large forests. The English name, though, comes from the everyday look of the stems rather than from any botanical classification, so it describes appearance first and biology not at all.

Synonyms: equisetum