Equisetaceae

Water horsetail

Equisetum fluviatile L.

Family: Equisetaceae
Genus: Equisetum

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Common names

By language (31)

Arabic: كنباث نهري
arz: كنباث نهرى
Belarusian: Хвошч багнавы
Bulgarian: Речен хвощ
Catalan: Prêle des eaux
Chinese: 溪木賊, 溪木贼, 水问荆, 水問荊, 水木賊
Croatian: Riječna preslica
csb: Wòdny hermùs
Czech: Přeslička poříční, Přeslička říční
Danish: Dynd-Padderok
Dutch: Holpijp
English: Water horsetail, Swamp horsetail
Estonian: Konnaosi
Finnish: Järvikorte
French: Prêle des eaux, Prêle des rivières
German: Teich-Schachtelhalm, Schlammschachtelhalm, Prêle des eaux
Icelandic: Fergin, Tjarnarelfting
Irish: Scuab eich uisce
Japanese: ミズドクサ
Lithuanian: Balinis asiūklis, Prêle des eaux
Macedonian: Водно коњско опавче
nds: Brekebeen
Norwegian Bokmål: Elvesnelle
Persian: دم اسب رودخانهای
Polish: Skrzyp bagienny
Russian: Хвощ приречный, Хвощ речной, Хвощ топяной
sah: Ылаҕан
Slovenian: Vodna preslica
Swedish: Sjöfräken, Prêle des eaux
Turkish: Su atkuyruğu
Welsh: Marchrawnen y dŵr

Synonyms

Equisetum aphyllum (Roth) Baumg.
Equisetum aquaticum Hoppe ex Milde
Equisetum fluviatile f. attenuatum (Milde) Vict. ex Dutilly & Lepage
Equisetum fluviatile f. fluviatile
Equisetum fluviatile f. leptocladon (Döll) Ooststr.
Equisetum fluviatile f. limosum (L.) Satou
Equisetum fluviatile f. linnaeanum (Döll) M.Broun
Equisetum fluviatile f. minus (A.Braun ex Döll) M.Broun
Equisetum fluviatile f. natans (Vict.) M.Broun
Equisetum fluviatile f. polystachium (Brückn.) M.Broun
Equisetum fluviatile f. uliginosum (Muhl. ex Willd.) Macloskie & Dusén
Equisetum fluviatile f. virgatum (Sanio) Ooststr.
Equisetum fluviatile subsp. limosum (L.) A.Blytt
Equisetum fluviatile subsp. limosum (L.) C.Hartm.
Equisetum fluviatile subsp. verticillatum (Döll) Á.Löve
Equisetum fluviatile var. attenuatum Milde
Equisetum fluviatile var. attenuatum (Milde) A.A.Eaton
Equisetum fluviatile var. brachycladon Doell. ex A.A.Eaton
Equisetum fluviatile var. intermedium A.A.Eaton
Equisetum fluviatile var. leptocladon (Döll) A.A.Eaton
Equisetum fluviatile var. limosum (L.) Farw.
Equisetum fluviatile var. linnaeanum (Döll) A.A.Eaton
Equisetum fluviatile var. linnaeanum (Döll) Á.Löve
Equisetum fluviatile var. polystachium (Brückn.) A.A.Eaton
Equisetum fluviatile var. simplex Rupr.
Equisetum fluviatile var. uliginosum (Muhl. ex Willd.) A.A.Eaton
Equisetum fluviatile var. verticillatum (Döll) A.A.Eaton
Equisetum heleocharis Ehrh.
Equisetum heleocharis f. attenuatum (Klinge) C.W.Christ.
Equisetum heleocharis f. brachycladon (Döll) Asch.
Equisetum heleocharis f. commune (Junge) C.W.Christ.
Equisetum heleocharis f. leptocladon (Döll) Asch.
Equisetum heleocharis f. uliginosum (Muhl. ex Willd.) Asch.
Equisetum heleocharis f. vulgare (Luerss.) C.W.Christ.
Equisetum heleocharis var. fluviatile (L.) Borckh.
Equisetum heleocharis var. limosum (L.) Borckh.
Equisetum lacustre Opiz
Equisetum limosum L.
Equisetum limosum f. brachycladon Döll
Equisetum limosum f. fluviatile (L.) Murr

and 35 more.

Flowers

Flower colour: green (USDA PLANTS Database)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Forb/herb
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Alaska: native, Canada: native, Lower 48 states: native, St. Pierre and Miquelon: native

Photos

Photo: Luc Viatour, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Oleg Kosterin, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Luc Viatour, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: kilian pelon, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Oleg Kosterin, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Luc Viatour ; Edit by Waugsberg, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Diwalig QUIDAM, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Timothy McNitt, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Kenraiz , Krzysztof Ziarnek, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: HENRI RAVETTA, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: ITÔ, Hiroki, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Styrelsen for Grøn Arealomlægning og Vandmiljø/The Danish Agency for Green Land , CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons

More in Equisetum

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.