Dinosaurs were still roaming the earth when this perennial flowerless plant (Equisetum arvense) first made its appearance. The numerous common names it has collected over the centuries--horsetail, bottle brush, corncob plant--refer to the distinctive brownish cones that emerge from its bamboolike stems. It is primarily these hollow, jointed stems that are used for medicinal purposes.
Healers in centuries past considered the plant valuable for controlling bleeding from lung lesions caused by tuberculosis. Interestingly, studies in animals indicate that it also helps to stanch bleeding when applied directly to a wound.
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