Equisetum .] 
FERNS. 
/o 
Shotover Hill, Oxon, d/r. Baxter. Mansfield Forest, near the Blidworth Gate, 
Mr. T. H. Cooper . — Wales : Frequent on the Welsh mountains, where a variety 
is found with the leaves widely spreading, Mr. W. Wilson . — Ire. : Lough Bray 
and mountains, in the south of Ireland (frequent), Irish Flora. Known in Kerry 
as Virgin Mary’s Furze. 
Geo. — Over Europe and North America. (Not in Pursb.) 
EQUISETUM, Linn. HORSE-TAIL. 
A, spike of fruit of Equisetum palustre. B, portion of the stem and branches 
of ditto. C, receptacle magnified. D, under side of a scale of ditto, shelving 
the scattering of the spores.' E, spore in its young state. F, ditto more advanced, 
and unfolding its filiform appendages. G, ditto spread out, and with abortive 
granules attached to\ the filaments. H, abortive granules. I, transverse' section 
of the stem of Equisetum variegatum. J, ditto of Equisetum fluviatile. K, 
longitudinal section of ditto. L, sheath of Equisetum Drummondii. M, longi- 
tudinal section of stem of Equisetum limosum. N, particles of silex on Equisetum 
Drummondii. 
A widely distributed but not very extensive genus, which inhabits for the most 
part temperate and cold countries. The species now living are all small plants, 
but the fossil remains of the Equisetacece show that at some former period gigantic 
specimens must have been frequent. Our plants prefer watery situations and 
strong soil. They may be divided into sections as follows : — 
* Fertile stems naked, succeeded by branched barren ones. 
** Fertile stems branched from them first growth. 
*** Fertile stems not branched at first, but finally becoming so. 
**** Fertile stems always remaining simple, barren stems the same. 
Equisetum fluviatile, Drummondii, and arvense, belong to the first section ; E. 
sylvaticum to the second ; E. palustre and limosum to the third ; E. variegatum 
and hyemale to the fourth. 
1.— EQUISETUM FLUVIATILE. 
GREAT HORSE-TAIL. WATER HORSE-TAIL. 
(Plate IX, fig. 1 .) 
Cha. — Barren stems erect, with thirty to forty branches in each 
whorl. Fertile stems with loose sheaths, having numerous teeth. 
Syn. — Equisetum fluviatile, Linn., illd., Smith, Hook., Bolt., Huds., Lightf, 
With., Gray. — E. telmateia, Ehrh., Flo. Dan. — E. eburneum, Roth., Schr. 
— E. majus, Ray, Ger. — E. maximum, Lam. 
Fro.— E. B. 2022.— Bolt. 36, 37.— Ger. Her. 1113.— Flo. Dan. 1-1G9. 
