Two types of Horestail growing together?

sunnydale · #1 (**permalink**) 13-06-2011, 09:45 AM

Hi all,

Lots of Horsetail about atm but I came across a large patch of plants, where the two looked distinctly different!

This one looked more like Glasswort

.....

And both together....

Any ideas?
Thanks,

Tracey

Dorts · #2 (**permalink**) 13-06-2011, 10:15 AM

Tracey, I would suggest you have three species of Horsetail there.
Pic.1 is Field Horsetail - Equisetum arvense.
Pic.2. The ones like little Cristmas trees are Wood Horsetail - E. sylvaticum, and the tall-thin one growing with it looks like Marsh Horsetail - E. palustre.
Quite a sight!
Glasswort, (which I agree can look rather similar), is confined to muddy saltmarshes.
Dorts.

sunnydale · #3 (**permalink**) 13-06-2011, 05:45 PM

Thanks Dorts

That explains it then!

As you say, it really was quite a sight.

The plants covered a fairly large area - in fact, they're not far from where I've been photographing the Orchids recently!

I actually spent a while just looking, just taking it all in - before I took some photos.

Tracey