1056 



Notice of Equisetumjluviatile, Fries, in Britain; and an Inquiry 

 into its Distinctness as a Species. By John G. Baker, Esq. 



During the earlier part of the current season, an Equisetuni, some- 

 what intermediate in habit between hmosum and palustre, attracted 

 my attention, in a growing state, in this neighbourhood ; which, I 

 supposed, might be the plant described by Fries as the Equisetum 

 fluviatile of Linneus, and introduced to the notice of British botanists, 

 in the second edition of Babington's' Manual,' as having some slight 

 claim to be considered a native of this country. Not possessing the 

 means of arriving at a satisfactory decision upon this point, I forwarded 

 a series of specimens of the Yorkshire plant to Mr. C. C. Babington, 

 who, by comparing them with the examples and descriptions published 

 in illustration of E. limosum and E. fluviatile, by Fries, in the ' Her- 

 barium Normale Snecicae,'* established its identity with the E. fluvi- 

 atile of Scandinavian botanists, which he has also received from other 

 localities in England and Scotland. 



So far as they have come under my observation, the two supposed 

 species, as they appear in this country, may be thus described : — 



Equisetum Jluviatile , Fries. Equisetum limosum. Fries. 



Rhizome creeping extensively. Rhizome creeping extensively, 

 closely sheathed, darker coloured closely sheathed, darker coloured 

 than the stem, with numerous bun- than the stem, with numerous bun- 

 dles of slender, black, fibrous roots dies of slender, black, fibrous roots 

 issuing from its nodes, and from issuing from its nodes, and from 

 those of the lower part of the stem, those of the lower part of the stem. 



Stem 3-4 feet high, 2-3 lines Stem 2|-3|- feet high, 2-3|- lines 

 thick at its broadest part, fragile, thick at its broadest part, fragile, 

 usually more or less branched, usually simple frequently more or 

 rarely simple, erect or somewhat less branched, erect or somewhat 

 procumbent below, or curved procumbentbelow, round or slight- 

 above, round or slightly com- ly compressed, with 14-18 paral- 

 pressed, with 14-18 parallel striae, lei striae, divided transversely by 

 divided transversely by numerous numerous closely sheathed articu- 

 closely sheathed articulations, lations, purplish brown towards 

 purplish brown and smootli to- its roots, below the sheaths, espe- 

 wards its roots, below the sheaths, cially when submerged, light- green 

 especially when submerged, light- above, when growing quite green, 



* Herb. Norm. Suec. fasc. xi. Nos. 97, 98. 



