5U 
KQtJISETACE.E, 
I have introduced on the present page sections of the stem of 
three species of Equisetiim. The left-hand figure represents E. 
palustre ; the middle figure E . Jluviatile ; and the right-hand 
figure E. sylvaticum. Botanists of some eminence have treated 
E. palustre and E. Jluviatile as varieties of the same plant; and 
even the great Linneus suspected this to be the case, although he 
assigned a separate name to each. A glance at the figures will 
be sufficient to convince an enquirer of the fallacy of this hypo- 
thesis, since the discrepancy in this respect is greater between 
E. palustre and E. Jluviatile^ than between any two species I 
shall have occasion to describe. Although a comparison of these 
sections is by no means new, yet I think but little stress has hi- 
therto been laid on its value. I very strongly recommend it to 
the attention of botanists. 
