FIELD HORSETAIL. 107 



exception for the branches themselves to be branched, but the 

 outdoor botanist will have no difficulty in finding examples as 

 liberally furnished as the one our artist has selected for illus- 

 tration. Probably 50 per cent, of full-grown fronds show some 

 tendency to twiggy branching. There is usually a bare length 

 of slender stem standing above the highest branches. (Plates 

 112-114, 116.) 



A section across the stem shows the exterior to have broad 

 low ridges varying in number from six to nineteen ; the central 

 cavity rather small, a series of shield-shaped air-canals corre- 

 sponding with the external grooves, and alternating with these 

 but nearer the hollow centre, a ring of small circular tubes. 



Often, the Field Horsetail is one of the least-striking members 

 of the group, owing to a recumbent attitude adopted by its barren 

 stems in fields. Frequently, however, we may find it very erect 

 and bushy, and when a score or so of these erect examples form 

 a colony their effect is distinctly beautiful ; but even solitary 

 specimens, in shady places, will often exhibit considerable 

 grace. The fertile stems are so short they rarely attract 

 attention, and when seen are likely to have their fruit-spike 

 passed by as that of one of the Wood-rushes, which blossom 

 about the same period. 



The specific name arvense is Latin, and connects the plant 

 with fields, just as does the English name we have used above. 

 But there are other English names adopted in different localities, 

 and these arrange themselves curiously into two groups, one 

 group based on external appearance, the other on internal 

 structure. In the first class we have Bottle-brush, Cat's-tail 

 a name more frequently applied to the Reed-mace Colt's-tail 

 and Corn Horse-tail. In all these the usual bushiness of the 

 combined whorls of branches obviously has been suggestive. 

 In the second class, it is the tubular nature of the stem that has 

 arrested attention : so we have Frog-pipes, Horse-pipe, and 

 Snake-pipes. Several of these names we shall find are not 



