62 
EQUISETACE.E. 
The branches are very^slender, long, and drooping ; they are 
commonly divided into twelve or fourteen joints, of which those 
near the apex are the shortest, and the basal one is generally 
rather shorter than those immediately following it, which are the 
longest of all, and emit from near their extremities other slen- 
der, long, and drooping branches. The ultimate branches are 
generally triangular or three-ribbed, each joint terminating in 
three long pointed teeth, which are nearly concolorous with the 
branches, and one of the ribs ascends undivided to the extreme 
apex of each tooth. The figure below" represents a barren stem. 
