Equisetum x litorale Shore Horsetail (E. arvense x fluviatile)

Shore Horstail is the result of a cross between Field Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) and Water Horsetail (Equisetum fluviatile) and is the most frequently ecountered hybrid horsetail in Britain. It grows in distubed soils along tracks and roads, as well as moist or wet places in gravel pits, on stream banks, in ditches and on canal banks, among other places. Although it is variable in form, its branched stems give it a resemblance to Field Horsetail more than Water Horsetail. However, the central hollow cavity occupies half to three-quaters of the stem width, much wider than that of Field Horsetail, and the branches are often relatively short and mostly produced on the upper parts of the stem. The long unbranched lower portion of the stem give this hybrid a characteristic appearance. It doesn't produce viable spores but it is often found in the absence of its parents. It has a scattered distribution in Britain and is most commonly recorded in the lowlands of the north and west (pareticularly in Ireland). There are lots of records from Wales, except for the upland areas of mid Wales, but there are few records from West Glamorgan where it is almost certainly under recorded.

Native