| Andean horsetail | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Division: | Polypodiophyta |
| Class: | Polypodiopsida |
| Subclass: | Equisetidae |
| Order: | Equisetales |
| Family: | Equisetaceae |
| Genus: | Equisetum |
| Species: | E. bogotense |
| Binomial name | |
| Equisetum bogotense Kunth | |
Equisetum bogotense, the Andean horsetail, is a herbaceous perennial that reproduces through spores. It has thicker, less bushy whorled branches, and a silica rich rhizomatous stem, which roots grow out of, under ground. This stem is a dull dark brown color with glabrous growth aside from the sheathed segments. The plant has a history as a traditional herbal remedy, and a study of its diuretic effects on humans showed significant increases in urinary sodium, potassium, and chloride. Human and animal trials of indicate that E. bogotense has "high" efficacy as a diuretic. It is used in several modern herbal supplements. The species epithet refers to Bogotá, the capital of Colombia.
A segregate species, Equisetum rinihuense, has been described.
According to a recent study, this species may be the most isolated of all the genus, as it is more closely related with fossil Equisetums rather than living ones.
References
- Wright, CI; Van-Buren, L; Kroner, CI; Koning, MM (October 2007). "Herbal medicines as diuretics: a review of the scientific evidence". J Ethnopharmacol. 114 (1): 1–31. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2007.07.023. PMID 17804183.
- "75-Day Premarket Notification for New Dietary Ingredients" (PDF). Food and Drug Administration. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-05-21. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
- Elgorriaga, A.; Escapa, I.H.; Rothwell, G.W.; Tomescu, A.M.F.; Cúneo, N.R. (2018). "Origin of Equisetum: Evolution of horsetails (Equisetales) within the major euphyllophyte clade Sphenopsida". American Journal of Botany. 105 (8): 1286–1303. doi:10.1002/ajb2.1125. PMID 30025163.
External links
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Equisetum bogotense | |
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