Family · Ferns & allies

Equisetaceae

Horsetails (Equisetum)

Jointed, hollow, silica-rich stems with whorled branches and terminal cone; the sole living horsetail family.

Accepted species

41accepted names · Kew WCVP

Genus

1accepted genus · Kew WCVP

Origin

≈183 MaJurassic · crown age, Jin & Qian 2022 megatree

Centre of diversity

Europemost native species · WGSRPD

Open Equisetaceae in the treePan, zoom and dig into its genera in the interactive view.›

Plants you might know

• Equisetum

Its genus

• Equisetum41 spp.

Where it grows

• Europe27
• Northern America20
• Asia-Temperate19
• Southern America6
• Asia-Tropical5
• Africa3
• Pacific1

Native species richness by botanical continent (WGSRPD level 1), from Kew WCVP.

Related families

Equisetaceae sits in the order Equisetales.