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Glite Dictionary
horsetail family

horsetail family

8.7
A group of plants with jointed, rough stems that grow near water
  • noun
  • /ˈhɔrsteɪl ˈfæmɪli/
  • Specialized
translation icon : familia de las equisetáceas
  • The horsetail family is known for its jointed stems and rough texture.

Examples

  • Modern members of the horsetail family are often found in wetlands and riverbanks.

  • Fossils show that the horsetail family was abundant millions of years ago.

  • The horsetail family includes ancient plants.

  • Did you know the horsetail family is quite unique?

  • Fossils show that the horsetail family was abundant millions of years ago.

  • Modern members of the horsetail family are often found in wetlands and riverbanks.

  • The horsetail family is known for its jointed stems and rough texture.

Synonyms

Equisetaceae
vshorsetail family
  • Specialized
9.9

A family of very old plants with jointed stems that look like a green brush

is the ordinary descriptive name used in general speech rather than the technical label

Surface Forms

horsetail family singular
horsetail families plural

Morphology

horsetail + family

The phrase 'horsetail family' denotes the taxonomic family containing horsetail plants and its meaning is directly derived from combining 'horsetail' (the plant) with 'family' (a grouping of related species). This species-name + family composition is a regular, cross-linguistically common scientific pattern, so a learner who knows both constituents will readily understand the MWE.

Etymology

Horsetail family comes from how these plants look: their long, jointed stems and brush-like tops remind people of a horse's tail, so the word horsetail describes their shape. That's why family here means a 'group of related plants', and the name now refers to the whole group of similar plants.