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Equisetum
hyemale- Common Scouring Rush (Equisetaceae)
Evergreen, rush-like perennial plant to 4 feet tall. The stem
is jointed, siliceous, erect, ridged and cylindrical with terminal
strobili. This species is found in Wisconsin. There is a tropical
species, E. giganteum,
in Peru that grows to 12 feet tall. Horsetails of the genus Calamites
were also important in Carboniferous forests. These trees were
60 feet or more in height and a foot or more in diameter. As
its name suggests, this plant was used to "scour" dishes
clean.
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