This is by far the most striking of all our native Horsetails. As a rule the plant grows in a damp situation, and it then assumes handsome proportions. The fertile stems appear on the scene about April, and these do not as a rule exceed a foot in height. They are very succulent, and have loose sheaths which have about thirty or forty teeth. The sheaths are green at the lower, and brown at the upper part, being distinctly marked with lines. The fertile cones are three or four inches long and possess a very large number of scales. The barren stems are remarkable for their erect growth, and in a fine specimen these may be four or five feet in height. The stem bears numerous whorls of branches, and these branches may show yet further divisions. As a rule each whorl has thirty or forty branches apiece. On the upper part of the stem the whorls are very close together, but they are more widely separated at the lower portion. The main stems, which taper towards the apex, are marked with lines, and at intervals are enclosed in sheaths; these have long teeth and fit the stem very closely. The branches are rough to the touch, and have sheaths which end in four or five teeth; each tooth in this case is prolonged into a bristle which has two toothed ribs. This is a feature by means of which it is always possible to distinguish the Great Horsetail from any other species. Now and again stems have been found which, whilst bearing fertile cones, at the same time branch in the manner to be observed in the case of the barren stems.

The Great Horsetail is widely distributed and is sometimes very abundant, though it is not so common as some of the other species of Equisetum.

Equisetum pratense. In this case the specific name is a Latin word which means “growing in a meadow.” In some books this plant is known as E. umbrosum. The Shade or Blunt-topped Horsetail.

This species has three kinds of stems. The first of these is about six inches in height, and is provided with large loose sheaths. This bears the cone of fructification, which is ripened about the month of April. The second type of stem produces both branches and a fertile cone, though this latter is very much smaller than in the case of the first type of stem. Finally, there is the barren stem, which may be about eighteen inches in height; this is very rough, and has about twenty strongly-marked ridges. The sheaths, which are not so large as those of the fertile stem, fit somewhat closely. The stem branches freely, and it is to be noted that these branches have three or four ridges; as well, they bear sheaths which end in the same number of teeth. A distinctive feature of the Shade Horsetail is that the topmost whorls of branches spread upwards in such a way that they reach the summit of the stem; there is no long tapering point such as is to be seen in the case of the Field Horsetail, for instance. The result of this habit of growth is that the plant has a curious flat-topped appearance; it is on this account that the species has received one of its popular names.

The Shade Horsetail grows in damp meadows and very shady woods, though it is not common in all districts.

Equisetum sylvaticum. In this case the specific name is taken from the Latin silva, “a wood,” and is a reference to the habitat of the plant. The Wood Horsetail.

This is one of the most beautiful of our Horsetails. The plant has two kinds of stems, both of which are ultimately branched. The fertile stems put in an appearance first of all in the early spring; at this time these bear only a cone and are without branches. With the dispersal of the spores the cone shrivels up, and then the stems starts to send out green branches. These branches give off whorls of smaller branches from their joints. In a general way the stems of the barren shoots are not so succulent as those which bear the cone; the barren stems, too, are somewhat taller and branch more freely than the fertile ones. In both barren and fertile stems are to be noticed the whorls of small drooping branches which give a characteristic appearance to the Wood Horsetail, and by means of which it may always be identified. The sheaths which enclose the stem evidence three or four teeth, whilst the terminal branches (which are three-ribbed) bear at each joint a sheath ending in three long pointed teeth. The stems of the Wood Horsetail are marked by about a dozen ridges.

The Wood Horsetail is often abundant in damp shady woods.

Equisetum palustre. The specific name palustre means “belonging to the marshes.” The Marsh Horsetail.

This plant has a very thick rhizome from which arise the erect stems. The barren and the fertile stems closely resemble each other, being about a foot or more in height, with very rough surfaces on which it is possible to count from six to twelve very prominent ridges. The stems are enclosed at intervals in loose sheaths, which have the same number of teeth as the ridges on the stem. It should be noted that the branches from the various whorls show a marked tendency to turn upwards. On certain of the stems the fertile cone appears and the spores are ripened about June, after which the process withers. The plant as a whole remains green until late in the autumn. Sometimes in the case of large plants, cones have been known to occur on the tips of the branches of the Marsh Horsetail.

The Marsh Horsetail is a very common species, often growing in the greatest profusion by the sides of pools.

Equisetum limosum. In this case the specific name is a Latin word which means “full of mud”; this being an allusion to the fact that the plant favours swampy situations. The Smooth Naked Horsetail. The plant is also called the Water Horsetail.

A distinctive feature of this plant is that it has almost completely smooth stems, though a close examination will indicate the presence of a number of slight ridges. The barren and the fertile stems are very similar, and in a favourable situation they will grow to the height of two or three feet. A curious feature of this plant is the irregular way in which the branches appear. Sometimes the stems are quite bare; on other occasions they are partly branched; in any case the branches are short. The sheaths with many teeth are closely pressed to the stem. The fertile stem is, of course, distinguished by the cone which it bears at the summit. It is said that cattle are not averse to eating the Smooth Naked Horsetail, and certainly the stems are not unpleasant to the touch.

The Smooth Naked Horsetail is a common plant, specially by the sides of streams and pools. It sometimes grows right in the water.

Equisetum variegatum. Here the specific name means variegated, and has reference to the fact that the sheaths enclosing the stem are pale green below and blackish in colour above. The Variegated Rough Horsetail.

As a rule this plant grows by the seashore, where, by means of its fibrous roots, it may play a useful part in helping to bind the shifting sand. The Variegated Horsetail is not exclusively maritime, however, for it sometimes grows by the sides of rivers and ponds. The barren and fertile stems closely resemble one another, and they are very nearly prostrate in habit. As a rule they are about a foot in height, and the stems have from four to ten ridges. The upper part of the stem is usually unbranched, but whorls of branches occur towards the base. The sheaths, which, as already stated, are green below and black above, fit very closely to the stem. The black teeth have white margins, and terminate in bristle-like points. The cones are borne at the summit of the fertile stems, and are comparatively small.

The Variegated Rough Horsetail occurs chiefly, though not exclusively, in the North of England.

Equisetum hyemale.—In this case the specific name is a Latin adjective which means “pertaining to winter,” an allusion to the fact that the plant is to be found all through this season. The Rough Horsetail or Dutch Rush.

This is quite the most distinct of all the Horsetails. There are none of the whorled branches which are so familiar in the other species, and it is only now and again that even a single branch is produced from the base of one of the sheaths. There is a strong resemblance between the barren and the fertile stems. These are both tall and very erect, usually running up to the height of two or three feet. The stem is very rough to the touch, and is marked with from fourteen to twenty ridges. The edges of these ridges are thickly covered with flinty particles. The sheaths of the Dutch Rush clasp the stem of the plant very closely. The fertile cone is small, and is placed at the top of the stem.

The Rough Horsetail is not a very common species, but is abundant on the Continent, especially in Holland and Germany, where it is largely employed for the fixing of the soil of embankments. The Rough Horsetail is very useful for polishing wood.