Good day dear Hive friends, I hope you have a great time and would like to wish you a pleasant start to the weekend! In my new contribution I would like to introduce you to a interesting plant and hope you like it!

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You can see here horsetail which is also scientifically called Equisetum and the name is composed of the Latin word for horse equus and seta for tail. In my pictures, the two species Equisetum pratense and Equisetum arvense can be seen and a total of 15-20 species belong to the genus which was described in 1753 and goes back to the Swedish naturalist and botanist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778).

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The plant is one of the oldest in the world and is already several hundred million years old and is often found on the continents Africa, Europe, America and Asia. It usually grows relatively inconspicuous and is not very demanding when it comes to soil and can usually be found on roadsides, in forests, on walls or embankments. It thrives optimally on moist and nutrient-rich soils and this perennial plant prefers sunny or shady places.

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As a medicinal plant, horsetail can be used in many ways and help against inflammation as well as viruses and bacteria. It also has blood-purifying properties and can be used internally and externally in a variety of ways against different diseases due to the numerous contained active ingredients. As always, you should ask your doctor about the correct application, dosage and possible side effects to avoid possible complications!

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Horsetail can also be found in mythology and was already revered as a medicinal plant in ancient Greece and was also mentioned by Roman author Pliny the Elder. In Greek mythology, there is a legend that Prometheus brought fire to the people with the help of horsetail. The native Americans made pipes from the stems to attract snakes and it was also often used for ritual purposes as a burn incense. 

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In the past, it was also used to clean pewter tableware and it can also be found in the symbolism of alchemy and assigned to the planet Saturn. Symbolically, horsetail is a sign of stability and was also revered at that time as a magical plant and an old legend says that a small piece of gold can be found at the roots and this plant is connected to the zodiac signs Sagittarius and Capricorn.

![_DSC7005.JPG](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/elevator09/23t7YqaHTBJYga1RQTSBjfFdqbM6ZEkHQpzxs186YJZJPv3guhdY1ASGq78RWm7A9zKmp.JPG)

Thank you very much for stopping by and watching! I used my camera Sony Alpha 6000 and Sony SEL-55210 Telephoto Zoom Lens (55-210mm) to take these pictures.