The Herbarium
Part XII · Lookalikes
Field pair
Ephedra for horsetail
Ephedra and Horsetail — take this sheet to the bed, not a guess to the kettle.
Toxic mix-upTea kettle
Ephedra for horsetail
Two jointed green sticks. Horsetail is a silica scouring rush. Ephedra is a restricted stimulant in most of the United States.
Horsetail is a hollow, ridged, spore-bearing rush of damp ground. Ephedra is a dry-land shrub with scale leaves at the nodes. Do not brew a jointed stick you cannot name, and do not treat either as a casual tea.
The Herbarium — a teaching catalog, not a clinic. Traditional use is history, not a prescription. USDA 6b dates are a week either way, not a promise. Do not eat, drink, or harvest a plant you cannot name.