Equisetum ramosissimum subsp. ramosissimum Schleich. ex Dc.

Plants small to medium-sized. Rhizome erect, creeping, or ascending, blackish brown, nodes and roots with few long yellowish brown trichomes or glabrous. Aerial stem perennial, monomorphic, green, 20-60 cm tall, 1-3 mm in diam. at middle, lower portion of main stem often branched, tufted; internodes 2-6 cm. Main stem 5-14-ridged; ridges arc-shaped abaxially, with a row of tubercles or small light brown cross grains; sheaths narrow and up to 1 cm, lower portion grayish green, upper portion grayish brown; sheath teeth 5-12, deltoid, teeth of middle portion grayish white or few teeth blackish brown, arc-shaped abaxially, margin (sometimes upper part) membranous, persistent, with conspicuous stomatal bands on sheath teeth. Lateral branches hard, cylindrical, 5-8-ridged; ridge glabrous or with 1 row of tubercles or small pale cross grains; sheath teeth 5-8, teeth of upper portion brown, lanceolate, leathery but membranous at margin, persistent. Strobilus shortly clavate or ellipsoid, 0.5-2.5 cm, 0.4-0.7 cm in diam. at middle, apex with small acute tip, sessile.