Equisetum myriochaetum

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 4.6 metres (15 ft), with the largest recorded specimen having a height of 7.3 metres (24 ft).[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
Equisetum myriochaetum at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Division: Polypodiophyta
Class: Polypodiopsida
Subclass: Equisetidae
Order: Equisetales
Family: Equisetaceae
Genus: Equisetum
Subgenus: E. subg. Hippochaete
Species:
E. myriochaetum
Binomial name
Equisetum myriochaetum
Schltdl. and Cham., 1830[1]

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
  1. ^ Equisetum myriochaetum - Hierarchy - The Taxonomicon
  2. ^ Equisetum myriochaetum at San Marcos Growers
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "Equisetum myriochaetum Schltdl. & Cham. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  5. ^ 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.
edit