Common Horsetail
Equisetum arvense
Horsetail Family
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Under the Jack-in-the-pulpit there are some Horsetails. They are the plants that only have green branches, no leaves. On the plant behind and to the right of the Jack, the branches coming off the stem may be discerned. As only the tops of the foreground plants are shown, they misleadingly look like grass. If you click on the picture to view the enlargement, this is a little easier to see. This picture was taken in Medford Park. (The Jack-in-the-Pulpit is the larger forground plant that has the two stalks, each with three large leaves and a partially hidden Jack-in-the-Pulpit blossum from which the plant gets it's name. This blossum will be purple when it is fully mature.)
I think of the Horsetail as being the 'stickman' plant. This plant has no leaves. It has only stems. The stems are green and the photosynthesis and other plant processes are performed in the green stems. It is quite distinct and easily identified. It will usually be found in wet areas.
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