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Hippuris vulgaris (from Greek: ἵππος – horse and οὐρά – tail), known as mare's-tail[3] or common mare's-tail, is a common aquaticflowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae. Its distribution ranges from Eurasia and North America to Greenland, the Tibetan Plateau and Arizona. It prefers non-acidic waters.
The common mare's tail is a creeping, perennialherb, found in shallow waters and mud flats. It roots underwater, but most of its leaves are above the water surface. The leaves occur in whorls of 6–12; those above water are 0.5 to 2.5 cm long and up to 3 mm wide, whereas those under water are thinner and limper, and longer than those above water, especially in deeper streams. The stems are solid and unbranched but often curve, and can be up to 60 cm long. In shallow water they project 20–30 cm out of the water. It grows from stout rhizomes. The flowers are inconspicuous, and not all plants produce them. Studies of H. vulgaris in the Tibetan Plateau have shown that it is a prolific methane emitter.[4] The roots of H. vulgaris extend into the anoxic zone of wetland soils and create a conduit for methane produced in the anoxic zone to travel to the atmosphere.
Hippuris vulgaris was given its scientific name in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus.[5] It is classified as part of the genus Hippuris alongside three other species and along with its genus is part of the Plantaginaceae family.[6] The species has no accepted varieties, but five have been described that are among its 20 synonyms.[5]
It can also be a troublesome weed, obstructing the flow of water in rivers and ditches.