Hippochaete

Hippochaete is a subgenus of the living plant genus Equisetum, in the family Equisetaceae. The name derives from Greek roots meaning horse and bristle, reflecting the characteristic appearance of horsetails.

Taxonomically,Hippochaete includes several tall, robust horsetail species native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, and in some classifications has been treated as a distinct genus. Modern systems typically place Hippochaete within Equisetum rather than as a separate genus.

Morphologically, Hippochaete species typically have thick, rough stems with leaves reduced to sheaths around the stem. Sterile shoots can be tall and may be unbranched or sparsely branched, while reproductive shoots bear cone-like strobili at the tip where spores are produced.

Ecologically, they grow in moist soils such as stream banks and wetlands. The life cycle is sporophyte-dominant, with reproduction by spores produced in the strobili on fertile shoots; these spores germinate into small, free-living gametophytes before developing into the familiar sporophyte plants.

Fossil records show horsetails have a long history dating back to the Paleozoic era. Their silica-rich tissues give them a characteristic rigidity, and they have historically been used for scouring and in various traditional remedies.

See also: Equisetum.