Equisetum myriochaetum, also known as Mexican giant horsetail, is a species of horsetail that is native to Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru and Mexico. It is the largest horsetail species, commonly reaching 15 feet (4.6 m), with the largest recorded specimen having a height of 24 feet (7.3 m).[2] At each node is a whorl of as many as 32 branchlets. It is semi-aquatic and is often found growing on riverbanks.[3]
| Equisetum myriochaetum | |
|---|---|
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| Equisetum myriochaetum at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Division: | Polypodiophyta |
| Class: | Polypodiopsida |
| Subclass: | Equisetidae |
| Order: | Equisetales |
| Family: | Equisetaceae |
| Genus: | Equisetum |
| Subgenus: | E. subg. Hippochaete |
| Species: | E. myriochaetum
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| Binomial name | |
| Equisetum myriochaetum | |
The species is harvested for medicinal use.[4] In Mexico, the species is harvested and sold to treat kidney disease and type 2 diabetes.[5] It has traditionally been used as a diuretic.[3]
References edit
- ^ Equisetum myriochaetum - Hierarchy - The Taxonomicon
- ^ Equisetum myriochaetum at San Marcos Growers
- ^ a b Olazarán-Santibañez, Fabián; Rivera, Gildardo; Vanoye-Eligio, Venancio; Mora-Olivo, Arturo; Aguirre-Guzmán, Gabriel; Ramírez-Cabrera, Mónica; Arredondo-Espinoza, Eder (16 January 2021). "Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Activity of the Ethanolic Extract of Equisetum myriochaetum and Molecular Docking of Its Main Metabolites (Apigenin, Kaempferol, and Quercetin) on β-Tubulin". Molecules. 26 (2): 443. doi:10.3390/molecules26020443. ISSN 1420-3049. PMC 7831036. PMID 33466999.
- ^ "Equisetum myriochaetum Schltdl. & Cham. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ^ Andrade-Cetto, Adolfo; Heinrich, Michael (14 July 2005). "Mexican plants with hypoglycaemic effect used in the treatment of diabetes". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 99 (3): 325–348. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2005.04.019. ISSN 0378-8741. PMID 15964161. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
External links edit
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