In article , Brian
writes
Sorry to bring this up again but I'm sure there was a major mistake made in
identification and suggested eradication.
Surely everyone was meaning 'Horsetail' and not Mare's tail?
Only Horsetail has the silica- impregnated stems [pot scourers] and lack
flowers~closer to ferns.
Mare's-tail [Hippuridaceae] does have true [diminutive] flowers and
produces tiny nuts in the Autumn.
Mare's-tail is not a weed in the same league as Horsetail [Equisetum] in
any way!!
They do have a roughly similar appearance and originally Mare's-tail was
given that name as it was believed to be the feminine form. It is a
semi-aquatic plant.
I don't mean to stir matters but I'm convinced there was an error!!
Can we just pretend we meant Horsetail all the time?

Or perhaps just accept that common names are not accurate as different
people in different areas of the country apply them to different things?
Which plant do you know as gillyflower, for example?


--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm