What makes the inside of a horsetail scratchy?

Answer 1

It's the silica crystals that make horsetail fern (Equisetum hyemale) a scratchy tool.

Specifically, the plant forms silica crystals on the cell walls of its stems and branches. The crystals form in response to the drying of the plant's parts. It is the persistence of these crystals in the branches and stems that make the plant a scouring tool, in many places and throughout many time periods.

Answer 2

The inside of a horsetail plant contains high levels of silica, which hardens and forms microscopic abrasive particles. These particles create the rough, scratchy texture when rubbed against the skin.

Answer 3

Their outer layer of cells contains silica.

Answer 4

the epidermis of the plant

Answer 5

The silica on its exterior.