TAB. LXXIV. 

 Eqdisetum giganteum, L. 



Caule erecto stricto 10-14-pedali et ultra diametro unclam 

 sequiunciam arete striato lseviusculo copiose verticillatim 

 ramoso, ramis patentissimis numerosis 6-12 uncias longis 

 gracilibus semilineam ad lineam latis simplicibus vel parce 

 ramulosis asperiusculis, caulis vaginis unciam longis (sic- 

 citate pallide testaceis), dentibus subulatis aterrimis magis 

 minusve unitis ssepe semiunciam longis, ramorum dentibus 

 parvis liberis albis rarius atris, amentia ovato-cylindraceis 

 acutis semipollicaribus. 



Equisetum giganteum, Linn. Sp. PI. p. 1517, Willd. Sp. PI. 

 5. p. 9. 



Equisetum Poeppigianum ; A. Braun, Mst. in Fit, Lechler. 

 p. 21, and in Lechl. PI. Peruv, n. 1556, f. 2, name only. 



Equisetum ramosum, altissimum, Plumier, Plant. Amer. 2, 

 p. 115. t. 125. 



Hab. West Indies, Plumier ; Jamaica, Shane ; Arica, Peru, 

 Lechler. 



We are accustomed to see in geological collections fossil 

 specimens of gigantic European Equiseta, such as neither 

 Europe nor any part of the old world now possess in a living 

 state : but tropical America affords the present remarkable 

 existing species which almost vies with the fossil forms above 

 alluded to. Plumier has well represented a portion of the 

 plant from Martinique. Sloane, and Patrick Brown, and 

 Lunan record a very large " arborescent" Equisetum in Ja- 

 maica, no doubt this species. Lechler's specimens are very 

 much broken, for the plant seems very fragile, and our 

 representations are all fragmentary. Lechler found it at 

 Arica in Peru. No author however has made any mention of 

 its height. Our friend, Mr. Spruce, in all probability alludes 

 to this species when writing from the interior of South 

 America, of a gigantic species of Equisetum, 20 feet high ! 



Tab. LXXIV. Fig. 1, 2, 3. Portions from different parts 

 of a main stem of Equisetum giganteum L. ; and /. 4. Fertile 

 branch of the same; natural size. f. 5. Young spike or 

 amentum of flowers ; not yet emerged from its sheath, slightly 

 magnified, f. 6. Fully formed spike, ditto; f. 7. Front 

 view of a fertile scale of the amentum ; f. 8. Side view of 

 ditto ; andy. 9 and 10. Capsules with their clavate, spiral fila- 

 ments ; — magnified. 



Cent. 2. t. 7-L 



