''Equisetum bogotense'', the Andean horsetail, is a

herbaceous perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also widel ...

that reproduces through spores. It has thicker less bushy whorled branches, and a silica rich

rhizomatous In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow ho ...

stem, which roots grow out of, under ground. This stem is a dull dark brown color with

glabrous Glabrousness (from the Latin '' glaber'' meaning "bald", "hairless", "shaved", "smooth") is the technical term for a lack of hair, down, setae, trichomes or other such covering. A glabrous surface may be a natural characteristic of all or part of ...

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 Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na (from Latin ''natrium'') and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal. Sodium is an alkali metal, being in group 1 of the periodic table. Its only stable ...

potassium Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K (from Neo-Latin ''kalium'') and atomic number19. Potassium is a silvery-white metal that is soft enough to be cut with a knife with little force. Potassium metal reacts rapidly with atmosph ...

, and

chloride The chloride ion is the anion (negatively charged ion) Cl−. It is formed when the element chlorine (a halogen) gains an electron or when a compound such as hydrogen chloride is dissolved in water or other polar solvents. Chloride sa ...

. 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, being more closely related with fossil Equisetums rather than living ones .

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Binomial

bogotense Flora of Colombia Altiplano Cundiboyacense {{fern-stub