ON THE VARIETIES OF BRITISH FERNS, ETC. 
417 
Equisetace.e. 
Equisetum Drummondii. 
Hook., Brit. Flo., Edit. 3, p. 459; Edit. 4, p. 393. 
Francis' Ferns, p. 63, pi. 5, fig. 8. 
With. (MacGilliv.), p. 388. 
Allied to E. arvense, but easily distinguished by its lighter, u less glaucous" 
( u more glaucous ,” Francis) colour : its stem is also closely set with rough points; 
the sheaths are lighter in colour at the base than in E. arvense , but much darker 
at the extremity: they are also so close as to imbricate each other. The frond 
is also very blunt in its outline. 
A state of E. arvense is sometimes found almost flat at the top. 
Equisetum palustre. 
Hook., Brit. Flo., Edit. 3, p. 459; Edit. 4, p. 394. 
Francis’ Ferns , p. 66, pi. 5, fig. 12. 
With. (MacGilliv.), p. 388. 
Hooker recognises two varieties of this species:— 
(3 (Alpinum ), much smaller, with 4—5 angles, and teeth to the sheaths. 
y (polgstachion), upper branches elongated, fertile. 
Mr. Francis states that the variety y “ is always found in such situations as 
to convince us that its peculiar formation arises from its being nipped by frost, or 
cropped by cattle, especially as when thus proliferous the main stem is almost 
always injured at the top.” This may have been apparently the case, as in 
this variety, as far as I have observed, the terminary catkin has always shed its 
spores, and withered before the lateral ones are ripe: but I think, if found within 
reach, and carefully gathered, either itself or its remains will be visible, and that 
future observation will prove it to be a luxuriant state instead of a crippled 
variety. Mr. T. B. Hall sends a curious state of this species which has been 
mistaken by some for E. variegatum ; this it resembles in being small, somewhat 
procumbent, and irregularly branched at the base; but is easily distinguished by 
the sheaths, which retain the characteristics usual in the species: the branches 
are numerous, and of various lengths ; and altogether it has much the appearance 
of an injured state: it is found at Waterloo, near Liverpool. 
Equisetum variegatum. 
Hook., Brit. Flo., Edit. 3, p. 460; Edit. 4, p. 394. 
Francis’ Ferns, p. 66, pi. 5, fig. 14. 
With. (MacGilliv.), p. 389. 
I am not aware that this species when seen can be mistaken for any of the 
