280 
HISTORY OF BRITISH FERNS. 
vicinity of the Lakes of Killarney. The steins are tufted, 
generally simple, but sometimes sparingly branched ; they 
have about ten furrows, with broad intermediate ridges, 
on which the siliceous particles are less prominent, so that 
the stems are not nearly so rough as in the allied E. mrie- 
gatum, ramomm^ &c. The sheaths are scarcely larger 
than the stem, and are entirely green, except a narrow, 
black, sinuous ring at the margin ; the teeth are short, 
generally blunt, and have obscure membranous margins, 
and deciduous awns. The cone is small, black, terminal, 
and apiculate, and, as occurs in the allied kinds, its sheath 
is larger and looser than the rest, the teeth also longer, and 
their membranous edges more dilated and conspicuous. 
The present species is rather a local plant, but is widely 
dispersed in the three kingdoms, the larger forms growing 
on the margins of lakes, canals, rivers, ditches, &c., the 
smaller prostrate examples occurring on the sandy sea-coasts. 
The Equisetums appear to submit readily to cultivation ; 
at least we have found no difficulty in inducing those of 
which we have from time to time procured the subterranean 
stems, to grow with freedom. The plan we have adopted 
has been to pot them in loamy soil, and simply to place 
the pots in a cold frame, among a collection of hardy 
