mackay’s equisetum. 
27 
Reichenbach,^ the essential characters of which appear to be 
that it has verticillate and Q-angled branches, and that the 
sheaths are hoary greeji, concolorous with the internodes : 
I have faithfully transcribed both the descriptions in question. 
Moreover, on consulting Professor Vaucher’s ‘ Monographic des 
Preles,’ published in the first volume of the ‘ Memoires de la 
Societe de Physique, etc. de Geneve,’ I find that learned author 
has not only described at length but figured (PI. VI.) Willdenow’s 
plant under Desfontaine’s prior name of Equisetnm ramosissi- 
mum : the subduplicato-ramose stem and verticillate character 
of the branches, as well as the concolorous sheaths, are well 
represented. Vaucher gives the appropriate name of Equisetum 
multiforme to a species which appears to include the variegatum 
of Schleicher’s Catalogue and various other forms ; among these 
the present plant is not distinctly characterized : his Equise- 
tum multiforme ramosum, which, in other respects, comes the 
nearest, having the sheaths differently coloured. His description 
of this variety is quoted below.f 
striatus, scabriusculus. Rami terni, supehores simplices semiperlales usque 
fere pedales, inferiores iterum ramosi, ramulis suboppositis sexsulcatis. Vagi- 
nae concolores dentatae, dentibus albis, diapbanis, aristatis, aristis caducis. Ab 
omnibus mibi cognitis abunde diversum. Equisetum ramosissimum Clariss. 
Desfontaines non differre videtur. Willdenow, Sp. PI. v. 8. 
* E. elongatum, W. caule ramulisque sexangularibus longissimis superior- 
ibus spiciferis, spica mucronata, vaginis concoloribus (cano-viridibus), dentibus 
persistentibus albis vix puncto spbacelatis cartilagineis, in acumen quasi fim- 
briam longissimam byalinam flaccidam deciduam productis. 
Hyemale, jS. procerum Pollin et omnino vix recedere video. 
Quadripedale et altius quasi scandens ramuli ultra pedales. Flor. Germ. 
Excurs. 155. 
f j3. Equisetum multiforme ramosum. Prele multiforme rameuse. Cette 
seconde variete est peu connue des Botanistes quoiqu’elle soil assez repandue ; 
elle emet de sa racine plusieurs tiges courtes semblables a celles de la variete 
a. dont les gaines sont plus ou moins noiratres ; mais on y observe encore une 
ou plusieurs tiges principales, qui peuvent s’elever jusqu’a trois pieds et qui 
sont terminees par un epi plus grand que celui de la variete a. Les gaines 
ont amples, assez ladies, blancbes ou brunes, mais rarement noires ; les ra- 
meanx sont assez nombreux, plus ou moins reguliers, et quelquefois proliferes. 
