554 THE EQUISETUM FAMILY. (Equisetum. 



mostly fruiting, but all similar and simple, or rarely with very few 

 branches, 1 to 2 feet high or more, faintly marked with 15 to 20 string 

 and rough to the touch. Sheaths 3 to 5 lines long, white, with black 

 rings round the top and the base ; the teeth very minute and blunt, or 

 rarely shortly subulate. Spike 6 to 9 lines long, with a little conical 

 point on the rounded top. 



In marshes and wet woods, in northern Europe, Asia, and America, 

 extending from Spain and Italy to the Arctic regions. In Britain, 

 chiefly in Scotland, and northern and central England ; rare in Ireland. 

 Fr. summer, rather late. 



[E. Moorei, Newm., is an annual variety found near the sea in Wick- 

 low, with looser sheaths, and truncate teeth.] 



9. E. trachyodon, A. Braun. (fig. 1276). Long E. Very near E. 

 hyemale, with the same little conical point to the spike, and very pro- 

 bably a mere variety, differing only in its slender stems, with only 8 to 

 12 or seldom more striae ; the sheaths have seldom any black ring round 

 the base, though they often turn black altogether, and the teeth have 

 usually lanceolate, subulate points. The stem terminating the stock has 

 usually a few long branches, especially from the lower whorls, and varies 

 from 1 to 2 feet high or more ; the lower stems are simple, slender, and 

 shorter, all usually bearing a spike. E. ramosum of former editions, E. 

 AfacJcaii, Newm. 



In sandy, moist places, generally dispersed over Europe, Russian Asia, 

 and North America. In Britain, apparently confined to Scotland and 

 north-east Ireland. Fr. summer, rather late. 



10. E. variegatum, Schleicb, (fig. 1277). Variegated E. This is 

 again considered by some, and perhaps correctly, as a variety of E. 

 hyemale. Stems slender, all simple, or very rarely branched, usually in 

 several tufts, 6 to 8 inches high, but the terminal or central one some- 

 times lengthened out to 1 or 2 feet, with only 8 to 10 striae ; the sheaths 

 short, with a conspicuous black ring, and short teeth. Spike seldom 

 half an inch long, with a conical point as in E. hyemale. 



In maritime sands, or on the sandy banks of rivers, sometimes quite 

 in water, in the maritime or mountain districts of Europe and Russian 

 Asia, especially in the north, and in North America. In Britain, chiefly 

 in Scotland, Ireland, and the coasts of northern England. Fr. summer, 

 rather late. 



XCIV. FILICES, THE FERN FAMILY. 

 Herbs, with a perennial, short, or tufted, or creeping root- 

 stock (in some exotic species growing up into a tall, woody 

 stem), or rarely annual ; with radical or alternate leaves, which, 

 as they also partake of the nature of branches, are distinguished 

 by the name of fronds. In most genera these fronds are, when 

 young, rolled inwards at the top, and the rootstock, and some- 

 times also the stalks of the fronds, are more or less covered with 

 brown, scarious, usually pointed scales. Fructification consist- 

 ing of capsules, called sjxrre-fases (sporangia), sometimes small 



