mare’s-tail

plant

Also known as: Hippuris

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Related Topics:: Plantaginaceae; Hippuris vulgaris

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mare’s-tail, the aquatic plant Hippuris vulgaris or either of two other species of its genus, in the plantain family (Plantaginaceae). Mare’s-tail grows from submerged, stout rootstocks along the margins of lakes and ponds in temperate regions throughout the world. It resembles the unrelated horsetail (Equisetum species) in having whorls of small, linear leaves at intervals along the stem. The stems rise about 30 cm (12 inches) above the water to produce, in the upper angles between the stems and leaves, highly reduced, tiny, greenish, wind-pollinated bisexual flowers, each consisting of one male pollen-producing stamen and one female ovary with a single ovule. Mare’s-tail plants are sometimes grown in bog or pond gardens.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.