Horsetails

Horsetails, known as scouring rushes or Equisetales are a form of water-loving plant that may still be found in many parts of the world today. In the Triassic they were abundant and their remains are found within the Knocklofty Formation. These ancient plants reproduced through spores released from cone-like structures on the tips of some stems.

Left, Triassic fossil horsetail from Granton, Tasmania (Z1779 TMAG/UTAS); Right: modern horsetail