MEDICINAL PLANTS

The horsetail more usually 1 meter in height, although in some cases can reach two meters. It consists of two types of stems: the former are plump and have no branches, leaves born directly on the knots. At the end of these stems is a spike of sporangia containing spores. After the spores mature, these stalks lose their splendor and others begin to appear. The second type, unlike its predecessors, is highly branched and devoid of sporangia. Can be found throughout the Iberian Peninsula, but is more commonly found in the north of the country. One grows in wet places, preferably on land without lime, on the edge of streams, in ravines, and so on.

FLOWERING

It has no flowers and therefore can not speak flowering time. It reproduces by spores, which are stored in the sporangia, and these hatch in spring and the spores fall to the ground aided by the wind. The spores germinate a green plant called the prothallus, very small, requiring use of a microscope to see it. There prothallus female and male, to be fertilized one prothallus female by a male is causing a horsetail greater. We recommend that you only use the stems with no sporangia and are branched. Should be collected in spring and are dried in the sun, storing then in bottles tightly closed to avoid losing their properties.

APPLICATIONS

The greater contains silica and horsetail aconite acid as the other components of his family. We can also find gallic acid, resin and potassium salts. It is a plant known for its diuretic effects. It's also good because it brings remineralizing minerals in people with this kind of shortcoming. It has been widely used to contain bleeding of all kinds, nose, hemorrhoids, etc.. It is also sometimes used to control excessive menstruation. It is used both by doctors and in folk medicine.

ADMINISTRATION

cooking. He begins to boil about 40 gr. Of the dried plant in a pint of water for 40 minutes. After allowed to cool and slips. It takes three cups a day of this preparation sweetening it with sugar or honey if the taste is not very pleasant. Thus prepared is used as a remineralizing and diuretic.
Poultice. A decoction is made as above but with double the amount of horsetail. A pad is soaked with the prepared and placed in the nose or in the haemorrhoids to cut bleeding.

SUMMARY

FAMILY: Equisetaceae
HABITAT: Stream edge
FLOWERING: Mature sporangia in spring
PART USED: Aerial parts
CASTILIAN: Cola de caballo
CATALAN: Cua de cavall

USES

Fort remineralizing, Diuretic Moderate, Hemostatic Moderate.