New shoots of Horsetails (Equisitum), a primitive-looking wild plant growing in Charlton Down, that is also found as fossils in coal measures derived from the swamps of the Carboniferous Period 359 to 299 million years ago. Not so many growing this year as in others. They like the damp and it has been relatively dry this spring. The pictures of the mature plants are from visit to the site in a previous year.
Jessica's Nature Blog 
I remember finding Horsetails as a child and thinking it was something from the age of the dinosaurs.
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Ha, I think we had these in the garden in Donegal and we mistakenly thought they were baby pine trees!
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In fact, the Horsetails existed before the era of dinosaurs, as well as at the same time, and have lived continuously since then.
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I can understand that. They are certainly weird-looking, and the leaves do look something like pine needles.
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Not so popular with allotment holders. They go back a long way and they go down a long way.
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Too true!
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They are a pain in gardens and allotments, I understand that, but I love them – especially when (at a later stage than they are at present) they collect water drops.
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Wow. Now these I just love.
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It would be good to see some pictures of them with the water droplets.
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Thanks, Claudia.
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Hello Jessica. There’s a photo of Horsetails with dew in my old blog Pictures Just Pictures
http://picturesjustpictures.blogspot.com/2011/05/middle-of-horse-tail.html
and more about them in my post about them on Loose and Leafy in Dorset
https://looseandleafy.blogspot.com/2011/05/most-exciting-post-ever-on-loose-and.html
I’m surprised I haven’t posted more.
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I hope I’m not leaving the same comment twice but the comment I left earlier didn’t seem to stick so I’ll put it again.
It was a link to a photograph of Horsetails with dew on my old blog Pictures Just Pictures
http://picturesjustpictures.blogspot.com/2011/05/middle-of-horse-tail.html
and a link to post with more about them on Loose and Leafy in Dorset
https://looseandleafy.blogspot.com/2011/05/most-exciting-post-ever-on-loose-and.html
I had expected to find more photos of horsetails with droplets. Next year (on my allotment!) I’ll take more.
Your posts. Jessica, are being an inspiration for me of what I have to look forward to when I am ‘allowed back in the world’ after the pandemic has passed.
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Absolutely brilliant, Lucy! I loved the photos and article in the links. The photo of water on the horsetail is superb. Sorry for the delay in getting your comment up on the post but both versions went into the spam folder for some reason and I only just spotted them this morning before deleting the rest.
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Fantastic shots, Lucy. Sorry for the delay. As explained in the earlier comment, everything ended up in the spam folder and I only just managed to rescue it. Looking forward to seeing the fresh photos of horsetails when you are out and about again.
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Yes and we are dopey!
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