972 CRYPTOGAMIA. MISCELLANEA. Eqwisetum. 
(4) Seeds in the substance of the plant* 
TU'BER. Fleshy, solid, not becoming powdery; nor opening 
at the top. 
LYCOPER'DON. Firm, fleshy, becoming powdery and fibrous 
within; opening at the top. 
RETICULA'RIA. Pulpy, changing to friable ; opening indis¬ 
criminately : Seeds lodged in interlacing fibres or mem¬ 
branous cases. 
SPHiE'RIA. Fruit spherical, filled with black powder, mostly 
concealed by an outer coat; opening at the top. 
TRIC'HIA. Capsule globular, egg-shaped or cylindrical, 
composed of interwoven fibres : Stem fixed to a mem¬ 
branous base. 
MU'COR. Stem very slender: Seeds naked or in capsules at 
the ends of the stem. 
(URE'DO. Capsules clavated, emitting numerous seeds with¬ 
out fibres intermixed. E.) 
MICELLANEJE. 
EQUISE'TUM. # Spike club-shaped, egg-oblong : fructifica¬ 
tions target-shaped, opening inwards. 
E. sylvat'icum. Stem hearing a spike: leaves compound, (curved 
downwards. E.) 
Iledw. Theor. 1— {E. Bot. 1874— FI. Ban. 1182. E.)— Bolt. Fit. 33— Ger. 
957, misprinted 953. 5— C. B. Tlu 245— Park. 1201. 5— Bolt. Fil. 32. 
The entire plant very much resembling in figure a fir-tree, all its leaves 
being in whorls. Linn. Stem from seven to fifteen inches high, smooth, 
slightly scored, pale yellowish brown. Sheaths of the same colour, but 
deeper. Leaves eight, ten, or fifteen in a whorl, bursting out from the 
upper knot of the stem. Fructifications about fifteen in a whorl towards 
the bottom of the spike. Anthers attached to filaments, which, being 
breathed upon, coil up, but, becoming dry, expand again. After several 
expansions and contractions they detach themselves, still contracting 
when moistened, gradually bending from a straight line into a circle, 
even before a drop of water come in contact with them. These con¬ 
tractions are often so sudden as quickly to throw the object out of the 
field of view. When examined under a microscope, presenting the ap¬ 
pearance of many leaping insects in active movement. 
* (Compounded of equus , a horse ; and setce , hairs ; from the resemblance it bears 
to a horse’s tail. 
