Hippuris
Genus of flowering plants
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hippuris, the mare's tail, was previously the sole genus in the family Hippuridaceae. Following genetic research by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, it has now been transferred to the family Plantaginaceae, with Hippuridaceae being reduced to a synonym of Plantaginaceae.
| Hippuris | |
|---|---|
| |
| Common mare's tail (Hippuris vulgaris) from Thomé Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz 1885 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Spermatophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Plantaginaceae |
| Tribe: | Callitricheae |
| Genus: | Hippuris L. |
| Species | |
| |
It includes one to four species depending on taxonomic interpretation. Some authorities only accept the first species of those listed below, treating the next two as synonyms of it:[1]
- Common mare's tail, Hippuris vulgaris
- Mountain mare's tail, Hippuris montana
- Fourleaf mare's tail, Hippuris tetraphylla
- Lance-leaved mare's-tail, Hippuris lanceolata
They are aquatic plants found in shallow ponds and streams, both slow-moving and fast-flowing. Hippuris, despite being a flowering plant, is sometimes mistakenly identified with the non-flowering plant horsetail.
