Horsetail

Aha! So here we seem to have a common name that is not common to two english speaking areas. This appears to be Alliaria petiolata (jack by the hedge (not pulpit)), as opposed to Equisetum arvense (horsetail) in the UK.The test is simple does the leaf taste of a garlic/mustard mix?

A mustard oil and sulphur rich plant , used in the past for chest conditions and to kill intestinal worms.Can be used as a wound poultice. Washing the hair with this would liberate quality oils into the scalp and invigorate the hair follicles.The seed is the part used to expel worms but is very bitter -hence its folk name -wormseed.

In Persian/Islamic healing Ibn Sina prefers to use a henna and beeswax suppository for small worms .

 

Tortoise approved fodder.

The leaf tastes a bit fruity, but with a definite garlic aftertaste.

 

However that particular leaf was old and yellowish and starting to die, because all the leaves were falling off at this point.