Hippuris vulgaris. Mares-tail, 
HIPPURIS Lin. Gen. VI. Monandria Monogynia, 
Cal. o. Petala o. Stigma fimplex. Sent, i . 
Raii Syn . Gen . 5. Herb;e flore imperfecto seu stamineo vel /.petalo potius. 
HIPPURIS vulgaris. Lin. Syjl. Vegetab. p. 51. Sp. Pl. p. 6. FI. Suec. n. 2. 
PINASTELLA. Dillen.Nov. Gen. p. 168. 
LTMNOPEUCE. Haller. Hift. p. 264. Vaillant. Mera, de 1 'Acad. anno 1716, t. 1. f. 3. 
POLYGONUM fasmina. Matth. in Diofc. p. 933. Dodon. Pcnipt. p. 113. 
EQUISETUM paluftre brevioribus foliis polyfpcrmon. C.B.piti, 15. 
EQUISETUM paluftre alterum brevioribus fetis. Park. 1200. 
CAUDA EQUINA ftemina. Ger. emac. 1114. Raii Syn. p. 136. Hudf9tt.Fl. Angi. ed. 2. p. 2. 
Ligbtfoot FI. Scot. p. 70. 
RADIX perennis, repens, geniculata, alba, geniculis plu- 
rimis fibris capillata. 
CAULES plurimi, felquipedales et ultra, erecli, fimplices. 
glabri, ftriati, teretes, lpongioti, fg. 1. me- 
dulla filiformi, compacta, in radicibus tenaci. 
FOLIA verticillata, octo circiter, brevia, linearia, gla- 
berrima, avenia, ad lentem pun&ata, punctis 
excavatis. 
PLORES hermaphroditi plerumque, prefertim vere, ad 
finem reflatis plures Femineos obfervavi, axil- 
lares, fefliles. 
CALYX nullus. 
COROLLA nulla. 
STAMEN : Filamentum unicum, apici germinis in- 
fidens, primo breviftimum, demifib polline lon- 
gitudine piftilli. Antiiera biloba, purpuraf- 
cens, majufcula, fg. 2, 3. 
PISTILLUM ; Germen oblongum. Stylus 'brevifli- 
mus, nudus. Stigma fubulatum, album, ad 
lentem villofum, fg. 4, 5, 6. 
PERICARPIUM nullum. 
SEMEN unicum, oblongum, nudum, fubofteum, intus 
album, medio fulcum, membrana feu arillo 
tenui obtectum, fg. 7, 8, 9. 
| ROOT perennial, Creeping, joihted and white, the joint. 
* furmihed with numerous capillary fibres. 
I STALKS numerous, a foot and a half or more in height 
upright, Ample, (booth, (Mated, round' 
* fpung y.fg- '• the pith like a thread in th 
I center, compaft, audio the roots tough. 
-LEAVES growing in whirls, about eight in numbei 
fllort, linear, perfeftly (booth, without veins, 
dotted when magnified, the dots appearing 
> hollow. 
.FLOWERS for the moil part hermaphrodite, efpecialh 
m the (pring, at the cloib of tile fummer ' 
. have obferved many of them to be female 
* „ 6 rowin g in the alieaf the leaves, and feflije. 
I CALYX none. 
$ COROLLA none. 
I STAMEN : a fingle Filament, fitting on the top o> 
i the germen, at firft very (hort, on fheddinr 
* the pollen becoming as long as the piftilluin 
Antkera compoled of two lobes, purplift 
t and rather large, fg. 2, 3. 
I PISTILLUM: Germen oblong. Style very fhort. 
4 naked. Stigma tapering to a point, white 
l and downy when magnified, fig. 4. r 6 
I SEED- VESSEL none. 5 
I SEED fingle, oblong, naked, hard, white within, and 
in the center brown, covered with a thin mem 
brane or arilhis, fg. 7, 8, 9. 
Greater fimplicity in the conftruclion of a flower can fcarcely cxift than in the Hippuris. Here we have neither 
calyx, corolla, nor leed-veflcl ; and thofe parts which are univerfally contidered as eflential to the fructification are 
in the prefent inftance as few as poffible, there being only one ftamen, with its correfponding piftillum, yet perfect 
feed, and that in conliderable quantity, 'is produced. > j it 
The Hippuris here deferibed, which takes its name from the Greek five Cauda equina, is not the Hippuris 
of the firft Botanifts. They applied the term to our Equifetum , the Hippuris of LiNnasus is the Polygonum lamina 
of Dioscorides, and arranged by his commentator Matthiolus with our Polygonum aviculare ssxid Herniaria 
Succeeding Botanifts imagining, from the growth of its leaves, or from its producing feed, that it had better 
pretenfions to be ranked with the Equifetum , ablurdly enough called it Cauda equina j'amma, to which Mr. Hudson 
could not well avoid giving the Englilh name of Mares-tail. 
Although common in many parts of Great Britain^ this plant is very rare about London , Mr. Hudson mentions it 
as growing in a part of the New River near Harnjcy , where it may ftiil be found. 
It flowers and produces its feeds from June to Augujl. 
In running ftreams it is frequently extended to a great length ; and we have been informed, that in fome rivers 
it is an exceedingly troublelome weed, which we can the more readily believe, having experienced its roots t_> b ■ of 
the moft powcrlully creeping kind. 
A tranfverfe feclion of its ftalk is a beautiful microfcopic objeift. 
On examining this plant we have fometimes found its flowers to be female only. 
Y 
