NextPrevious

Plant World

Plant Diversity

Why are horsetails called “scouring rushes”?

The epidermal tissue of horsetails contains abrasive particles of silica. Scouring rushes were used by Native Americans to polish bows and arrows. Early North American settlers, who cleaned their pots and pans along stream banks, used horsetails—found in abundance in such areas—to scrub out their dishes.



Close

This is a web preview of the "The Handy Science Answer Book" app. Many features only work on your mobile device. If you like what you see, we hope you will consider buying. Get the App