The Andean Horsetail is a herbaceous perennial that reproduces through spores. It has thicker less bushy whorled branches, and a silica rich rhizomatous stem, which roots grow out of, under ground. This stem is a dull dark brown color with glabrous 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

Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal and is a member of the alkali metals; its only stable isotope is 23Na. It is an abundant element that exists in numerous minerals, most commonly as sodium chloride...

, potasium, and chloride

Chloride

The chloride ion is formed when the element chlorine, a halogen, picks up one electron to form an anion Cl−. The salts of hydrochloric acid HCl contain chloride ions and can also be called chlorides. The chloride ion, and its salts such as sodium chloride, are very soluble in water...

. Human and animal trials of indicate that E. bogotense has "high" efficacy as a diuretic. It is used in several modern herbal supplements.

External links

• http://florawww.eeb.uconn.edu/acc_num/200600019.html - binomial
• http://members.eunet.at/m.matus/Equisetum_bogotense.html - basic information on the Andean Horsetail.