MARSH EQUISETUM. 
49 
densely fibrous and clothed with minute fibrillse. The small 
size, often prostrate habit, branchless stems, sandy habitat and 
densely clothed roots, have induced many botanists to consider 
this plant a variety of E, variegatmn rather than of E. palustre : 
but after a careful examination I am unable to find any charac- 
ters whereby to distinguish it from the latter ; the root, stem, 
sheaths and catkins, seeming to me nearly identical with those 
of the usual form of the species. 
E 
