CRYPTOGAMIA FILICES. 649 



furrows, and terminated with a black oval 

 fpike. The dents ot the vagina arc acute and 

 black, and of the iame number with the fur- 

 rows. 

 Holler is of opinion that this is no other than a 

 variety of the foregoing. 



Huviatik 5 EQUISETUM caule ftriato, frondibus fubfim- 

 plicibus. Sp. pi 1517. (Ger. cm, 1113. /. i. 

 Blackwd t. 217) 



Great River Horfe-tail. Jnglis. 



Ear-bull-eich. Gaulis. 



In fliady marlhes, and on the brinks of flagnant 

 waters. "U. V. 



This is the largeft of all the Britifl^ fpecies of this 

 genus. The flalk is a yard high, and fome- 

 times near an inch in diameter, of a pale or 

 whitifh colour at firft, but blackilh in decay, 

 foft, hollow, and divided into numerous joints. 

 The leaves are nearly quadrangular, generally 

 fimp'.e, undivided, and grow commonly from 

 24 to 30 in a whirl, and in feme luxuriant fpe^ 

 eimens even 40. The ^•tf^;W are ftriated, and 

 divided into as many long, linear dents as there 

 are leaves in the whirl.. The fpikes of frudi- 

 fication grow on naked ftalks, diftina from the 

 foliaceous ones, but troru the fame root, and arc 

 replete with a bluifh powder. 



Haller tells us that this kind of Equifetum was 

 eaten by the Romans, and Limaus affirms that 



oxen 



