280 HISTORY OF nillTISn FERNS. 



vicinity of the Lakes of Killarney. The stems are tufted, 

 generally simple, but sometimes sparingly branched ; they 

 have about ten furrows, with broad intermediate ridges, 

 on which the siliceous particles are less prominent, so that 

 the stems are not nearly so rough as in the allied E. varie- 

 gatum, ramosum, &c. The sheaths are scarcely larger 

 than the stem, and are entirely green, except a narrow, 

 black, sinuous ring at the margin ; the teeth are short, 

 generally blunt, and have obscure membranous margins, 

 and deciduous awns. The cone is small, black, terminal, 

 and apiculate, and, as occurs in the allied kinds, its sheath 

 is larger and looser than the rest, the teeth also longer, and 

 their membranous edges more dilated and conspicuous. 



The present species is rather a local plant, but is widely 

 dispersed in the three kingdoms, the larger forms growing 

 on the margins of lakes, canals, rivers, ditches, &c., the 

 smaller prostrate examples occurring on the sandysea-coasts. 



The Equisetums appear to submit readily to cultivation ; 

 at least we have found no difficulty in inducing those of 

 which we have from time to time procured the subterranean 

 stems, to grow with freedom. The plan we have adopted 

 has been to pot them in loamy soil, and simply to place 

 the pots in a cold frame, among a collection of hardy 



