Equisetum ×ferrissii

Ferriss' horsetail, Ferriss' Horsetail

Family: Equisetaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Ferriss' horsetail is a native perennial found in coastal, northern California, Klamath Ranges, Sierra Nevada, Central Valley, Central Western, Southern California, and Desert Mountain regions in moist, sandy or gravelly areas at elevations below 3,000 meters. This distinctive plant features green, unbranched stems growing 20 to 180 centimeters tall with prominent dark-banded sheaths 7 to 17 millimeters long. Growing in distinctive vertical clusters, it has a unique segmented structure with 14 to 32 deciduous or persistent teeth along its stem segments. Its horsetail-like stems are characterized by pronounced green joints and a distinctive architectural form with uniform, closely spaced segments. The plant produces white spores in pointed cone-like structures, reflecting its ancient, prehistoric botanical lineage.

Habitat: Moist, sandy or gravelly areas

Elevation: < 3000 m

Bioregions: NCo, KR, NCoRO, CaRF, SNH, GV, CW (exc SCoRI), SCo, SnGb, PR (exc SnJt), DMtns

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.