horsetail

Horsetail Equisetum spp. is a living dinosaur among plants; it belongs to a plant family that dates back to 350 million years ago.  On the edge of the pond, a cluster of Horsetail grows in the sun.

This plant is not related to ferns, but reproduces through spores (not seed) like ferns.  At the top of its stems, the cone-like spore-producing structures grow.  The stem also has tiny gray leaves fused vertically onto it in a sheath with a black ring beneath. 

From a distance the plant looks like a group of attractive stems, from 2 to 4 feet tall.  Tiny ridges run vertically along the stems and contain silica.  Those stems feel rough and, in the past, people used this plant for scouring cooking utensils.