76 
FERNS. 
[Equisetum. 
Des. — Barren stem 2 to 4 feet high, quite erect, white, succulent, 
surrounded by whorls of from thirty to forty branches. Branches 
rapidly growing upon the stem as soon as it issues from the ground, 
giving it soon a broad-topped appearance. In its future growth this 
blunt character is lost, the main stem becoming elongated, and the 
branches are then long, slender, simple, jointed, ascending, with 
channels along their surface, and at the angles of these other very 
minute ones. Fertile stems 4 to 6 inches high, arising in March or 
April, and decaying as the barren stems arise, reddish white, 
extremely succulent, and wholly without branches at any time. 
Their sheaths four to six in number, are nearly an inch long, and 
generally so close together as to overlap each other, very deeply, 
sharply, and numerously toothed. Catkin large and conical. 
Withering says, “ fertile stems sometimes leafy.” He ought rather to have 
said, barren stems sometimes fruitful ; as a catkin is often found in the middle or 
latter part of summer terminating it, particularly if the weather has been dry for 
some time previously ; in fact it may be produced at any time with such cultivated 
plants as grow in pots, merely by removing the pots from the watery situation in 
which they are usually placed into a drier spot of ground. Mr. W. Wilson 
attributes this state of the plant to drought as here stated, and adds that he lias 
seen a specimen gathered near Bangor where this catkin was topped by a pro- 
longation of the branched frond, (July, 1830.) 
The name Fluviatile is not so applicable to this species as it would have been 
to some others ; it is rarely found on the banks of rivers or ponds, nor do I 
remember ever having seen it growing in the water. It rather affects strong 
loamy damp ground, clayey banks, and swampy bogs. 
Hab. — V ery abundant in some parts of England, as about London, in Hants, 
Bucks, &c. ; but Mr. Watson thinks scarcely a common plant generally. 
Geo. — Europe, Siberia, North America. 
2.— EQUISETUM DRUMMONDII. 
BLUNT-TOPPED HORSE-TAIL. 
(Plate 9, fig. 2.) 
Cha. — B arren stem blunt, erect, with about twelve branches. 
Fertile stems with prickly-toothed sheaths. 
Syn. — E quisetum Drummondii, Hook, in E. 13. suppl. ; Mack., FI. Htb. 
Fig .—E. 13. suppl., t. 2777. 
Des. — Barren stem exceedingly delicate, finely tapering upwards, 
very rough on the angles, with white and shining particles of silex, 
12 inches high, of a pale, lightish green, particularly the scales, 
which widen upwards, six or eight in number, rather close together, 
with long, black, terminal teeth. 
