6o 
FELICES 
BRITANNIC^. 
EQ^UISETUM. 
Ljin» Gen, Plan, 1169. 
E CLU I S E T U M fylvaticum. 
Lin, Sp, PL 1516. Flo, Ang, 447. Scot, 664. Cant, 383. Ray 
Syn, 131. Ger, Em, 1114. Park, 1201. 
FAB, XXXIII, 
WOOD HORSETAIL. 
ITROM a brown, jointed, fibrous, tough, creeping root, the fertile fhoots 
^ begin to appear about the end of March, or beginning of April. 
Thefe fiioots at their firfl: appearance are of a dark rufiy-brown colour 
on the outfide, which is compofed of feveral vaginae, of a thin filmy fub- 
flance, and lie over one another in an imbricated order ; each feparate 
vagina is divided in three or four dents at the rim, and marked with 
about twelve ftriae at the bafe, as at b. From the uppermofi: of thefe 
vaginae the flower fpike appears; it is of an oval or oblong figure, confifts 
of numerous hexangular fhields, clofe thruft together, their upper or 
naked part of a pale brown colour, and a fmooth furface. As it advances 
in growth, thefe fhields feparate, and the feminal valves under each fliield 
are librated, and difcharge the feeds in form of a foft, downy, bluifh 
powder. By this time the ftem has attained the height of eight or ten 
inches ; it is of a fmooth furface, and a pale-green colour. The fecond 
leaves make their firfl: appearance like little teeth, in a circle, round 
the bafe of the uppermoft vagina, as exprefled in the Plate at a; where 
I have fhewn them at the bafe of the third vagina. When this firfl cir¬ 
cle has made fome progrefs in growth, another circle begins to appear 
in like manner, at the bafe of the fecond vagina, and thus proceeds 
downwards, as is exprelTed in the flioot a, Lab, 34. 
The 
