*SHOW The Equisetum species of the British Isles - 16-SEP-04.
 
*CHARACTER LIST 
 
#1. <common name:>/
 
#2. <synonyms:>/
 
#3. the rhizomes <description>/
 
#4. the rhizomes <whether tuberous>/
       1. bearing tubers/
       2. not tuberous/
 
#5. the shoots <dimorphism>/
       1. conspicuously dimorphic: the cone-bearing stems thick,
          unbranched, brown and non-assimilating, appearing in early
          spring and withering before the emergence of the sterile,
          branched, green, persistent ones/
       2. distinguishable as fertile and sterile: both types produced at
          the same time, but those bearing cones remaining non-green and
          unbranched until after spore dispersal, and only later
          becoming green and branching so as to resemble the sterile
          stems vegetatively/
       3. all green and alike vegetatively, the sterile and cone-bearing
          shoots emerging at the same time/
 
#6. the brown, non-assimilating fertile stems <height>/
       cm high/
 
#7. the brown, non-assimilating fertile stems <internode diameter>/
       mm in diameter/
 
#8. the brown, non-assimilating fertile stems <number of sheaths>/
       1. with numerous sheaths and relatively short internodes/
       2. with only 4 to 6 relatively distant sheaths/
 
#9. the sheaths <of the brown fertile stems, number of teeth>/
       toothed/
 
#10. the main stems <of the assimilating shoots, height>/
       cm high/
 
#11. the main stems <of the assimilating shoots, diameter of
          internodes>/
       mm in diameter/
 
#12. the main stems <of the assimilating shoots, carriage>/
       1. erect/
       2. decumbent/
 
#13. the main stems <of the assimilating shoots, colour>/
       1. bright green/
       2. dull green/
 
#14. the main stems <of the assimilating shoots, rough or smooth>/
       1. very rough/
       2. slightly rough/
       3. smooth/
 
#15. the main stems <of the assimilating shoots, branching>/
       1. bearing whorls of slender branches at the nodes/
       2. sparingly branched, the branches solitary and similar to the
          main stem/
       3. simple <unbranched>/
 
#16. the main stems <of the assimilating shoots, persistence>/
       1. persisting through the winter/
       2. dying down in autumn/
 
#17. the main stem internodes <of the assimilating shoots, whether
          swollen>/
       1. somewhat swollen/
       2. not swollen/
 
#18. the main stem internodes <of the assimilating shoots, number of
          longitudinal grooves>/
       grooved/
 
#19. the <longitudinal internodal> grooves <in the main stem internodes
          of the assimilating shoots, details>/
       1. fine, the ribs between them not prominent/
       2. deep, with prominent ridges between/
 
#20. the main stem internodes <of the assimilating shoots, presence of a
          central hollow>/
       1. solid/
       2. with a central hollow/
 
#21. central hollow <of the main stem internodes of assimilating
          shoots, relative diameter>/
       1. much less than half the diameter of the internode/
       2. about half the diameter of the internode/
       3. more than half the diameter of the internode/
 
#22. endodermis <in main stem internodes of assimilating shoots,
          location>/
       1. surrounding the individual vascular bundles/
       2. comprising a single layer outside the ring of vascular
          bundles/
       3. comprising two layers, one outside and the other inside the
          ring of vascular bundles/
 
#23. the main stem sheaths <of assimilating shoots, colour>/
 
#24. the main stem sheaths <of assimilating shoots, length relative to
          breadth>/
       1. about as broad as long/
       2. longer than broad/
 
#25. the main stem sheaths <of assimilating shoots, loose or appressed>/
       1. loose/
       2. appressed/
 
#26. the main stem sheaths <of assimilating shoots, numbers of teeth>/
       toothed/
 
#27. the teeth <of the main stem sheaths of assimilating shoots,
          ribbing>/
       1. ribbed/
       2. not ribbed/
 
#28. the teeth <of the main stem sheaths of assimilating shoots,
          details>/
 
#29. the teeth <of the main stem sheaths of assimilating shoots,
          persistence>/
       1. persistent/
       2. caducous/
 
#30. the primary branching <regularity>/
       1. symmetrical/
       2. asymmetrical/
 
#31. the primary branches <when present, few or many>/
       1. few/
       2. numerous/
 
#32. the primary branches <carriage>/
       1. ascending/
       2. spreading/
       3. drooping/
 
#33. the primary branches <of assimilating shoots, whether themselves
          branched>/
       1. simple/
       2. secondarily branched/
 
#34. the primary branch internodes <of assimilating shoots, number of
          angles>/
       -angled/
 
#35. the primary branch internodes <of assimilating shoots, number of
          grooves>/
       grooved/
 
#36. the primary branch sheaths <of assimilating shoots, number of
          teeth>/
       toothed/
 
#37. the first <primary> branch internodes <of assimilating shoots,
          relative length>/
       1. much shorter than the subtending sheaths/
       2. at least as long as the subtending sheaths, at least on the
          upper parts of the stem/
 
#38. the primary branch internodes <of assimilating shoots, solid or
          hollow>/
       1. solid/
       2. hollow/
 
#39. stomata <of assimilating shoots, insertion relative to the adjacent
          epidermal cells. See Notes>/
       1. sunken <i.e., relative to the adjacent epidermal cells>/
       2. not sunken <i.e., relative to the adjacent epidermal cells>/
 
#40. the cones <length>/
       cm long/
 
#41. the cones <blunt or apiculate>/
       1. blunt/
       2. apiculate/
 
#42. spores <whether fertile>/
       1. fertile <implicit>/
       2. abortive/
 
#43. spores released <months released>/
       1. April/
       2. May/
       3. June/
       4. July/
       5. August/
       6. September/
 
#44. <general comments:>/
 
#45. <distribution in the British Isles>/
 
#46. Subgenus/
       1. Equisetum/
       2. Hippochaete <= Sclerocaulon>/
 
#47. Section <of subgenus Equisetum>/
       1. \i{}Aestivalia\i0{}/
       2. \i{}Subvernalia\i0{}/
       3. \i{}Vernalia\i0{}/
 
#48. = <hybrid origin>/
 
#49. abbreviated taxon name:/
 
#50. <illustrations>/
