Schaffner, John H.

The Ohio Journal of Science

KnowledgeBank at OSU

Nov., 1912.] An Undescribed Equisetum from Kansas. 19AN UNDESCRIBED EQUISETUM FROM KANSAS.*JOHN H. SCHAFFNER.For many years the writer has known a peculiar type ofEquisetum with annual, aerial stems, growing on clayey banksand bluffs in central Kansas. This plant was referred to Braun'sEquisetum laevigatum, although some of its most evident charac-ters did not agree with the description of that species.In 1903 (Fern Bull. 11: 40), Eaton stated that according tohis observations, E. laevigatum A. Br. was annual and this viewis continued in Gray's Manual, 7th Ed. 1908, where the state-ment is made that the stems are "mostly annual." In a note inthe Ohio Naturalist, 4: 74, the writer agreed with Eaton and alsosuggested that E. laevigatum as at present understood might be acomposite species. Eaton described E. hyemale intermediumand stated that it was "often confused with E. laevigatum."The writer has had the various forms of Equisetum, which areinvolved in the confusion, under consideration since 1903 and hascome to some definite conclusions which are here presented:1. The annual form of Equisetum from the west usuallygoing under the name E. laevigatum A. Br. is an undescribedspecies.2. Braun's description of E. laevigatum is essentially correct.3. Eaton's E. hyemale var. intermedium is Braun's E.laevigatum.The writer examined the original material at St. Louis fromwhich Engelmann sent specimens to Braun, and found that theplants agree well with Braun's description. They are perennialand the cones have a definite point. They are considerablysmoother than the usual forms of E. hyemale but much rougherthan the disputed plants from Kansas.One of Engelmann's specimens of E. laevigatum A. Br. dis-tinguished as variety B, scabrellum, collected in August, 1843, onthe banks of the Mississippi below Jefferson Banks is marked inpencil as "Probably type specimen." Both branched and un-branched specimens are in the collection. This specimen has nocones. Another specimen labeled E. laevigatum A. Br. fromsterile hills near harbors nine miles west of St. Louis, July, 1844,has the cone with a rigid point and agrees with the specimens thewriter identified as E. laevigatum, the past summer in a trip toKansas. It has the long dilated sheath and other distinguishingcharacters.*Contribution from the botanical laboratory of Ohio State University,No. 70.20 The Ohio Naturalist. [Vol. XIII, No. 1,Several years ago, while visiting the New York Bot. Garden,the late Dr. Underwood showed the writer specimens of E. laevig-atum A. Br. from Engelmann's collections made at St. Louis inAugust, 1843. These plants also had the rigid points on thecones. They are probably from the same material from whichBraun received his specimens.Specimens of E. hyemale intermedium in the National Herba-rium at Washington and at the Missouri Bot. Garden, includingcotypes named by Eaton himself, agree closely with Englemann'sspecimens of E. laevigatum. Some of the specimens renamed byEaton were originally labeled E. laevigatum. One of Eaton'scotypes of E. hyemale intermedium at the Mo. Bot. Gardenappears to the writer to be the same in all essential respects asEngelmann's laevigatum material. The specimens was originallylabeled E. laevigatum.There can be no mistake as to the meaning of Braun's originaldescription of E. laevigatum as translated by Engelmann andprinted in The American Journal of Science and Artsf.The species is characterized as follows:"Equiseta stichopora (winter-Equiseta). Stomata disposed intwo distinct ranges on each side of the groove; each range formedby one or more rows of stomata (All known species in this divisionhave hardy evergreen stems).Homophyadica.Ranges of stomata consisting each of one row.7. E. laevigatum A. Braun."Stems tall, erect, simple or somewhat branching; carinaeconvex, obtuse, smooth; grooves shallow on each side; with a singleseries of stomata, vallecular air cavities small, the carinal onesvery minute; central cavity large; sheaths elongated, adpressed,with a black limb, consisting of about twenty-two leaves with onecarina at base and (by the elevation of the margin and depressionsof the middle) two towards the point; points linear—-subulate,sphacelate, caducous, leaving a truncate-dentate margin to thesheath; branches somewhat rough; sheaths with about eightindistinctly 3-carinate leaves; points persistent subulate, sphace-late with a narrow membranous margin.Hab. On poor clayey soil with Andropogon and other coarsegrasses at the foot of the rocky Mississippi hills, on the banks ofthe river below St. Louis.|BRAUN, ALEXANDER. A monography of the North American species ofthe genus Equisetum; translated from the author's manuscript, and withsome additions, by George Engelmann. Am. Tour. Sci. and Arts 46:81-91.(April, 1844.)Nov., 1912.] An Undescribed Equisetum from Kansas. 21In size and manner of growth this new species is closely alliedto E. hyemale, and the larger variety of E. robustum, but it iseasily distinguished by its smoothness, its long green sheaths,with a narrow black limb, and its darker green color."This description seems to be quite accurate except is someminor points. The color is usually not darker green than in E.hyemale and the sheaths are usually though not always dilatedabove. The color of the large Equisetums varies considerablywith the environment, and in some cases the young sheaths aremore or less dilated than the old ones.The new species may be characterized as follows:Equisetum kansanum n. sp.Kansas Horsetail.Aerial stems usually 1-23/£ feet high, annual, very smooth,15-30 grooved, usually without simple branches unless brokenoff; color mostly light-green; surface of the ridges and grooveswith cross or diagonal bands; sheaths long, dilated above andusually constricted at the base, green with a narrow black bandat the top; teeth deciduous; cones ovate or oblong-ovate, withouta point, the apex obtuse or merely acute. On upland clayeybanks along ravines and hillsides, growing in rather scatteredtufts. Name derived from Kansas where the species is common.Type locality, Bloom township, Clay County, Kansas. Speci-mens also from Mancos, Colorado. Type and cotype 1 depositedin the herbarium of the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.Equisetum laevigatum and Equisetum kansanum form thetransition types between the large, evergreen scouring-rusheslike E. hyemale and E. robustum on the one hand and the tallannual horsetails, like E. fluviatile on the other. E. laevigatumis perennial in Kansas although it often freezes down to near thesurface of the ground in severe winters.The habit of growth between the three species which are oftenconfused is quite characteristic. E. hyemale grows in densemasses usually on creek and river banks and low places. E.laevigatum is rather tall and is more open and separate in itsgrowth, abounding in Kansas, in sandy river bottoms where thesoil is well filled with clay or other fine material and at the baseof clayey bluffs. E. kansanum as stated above is also open andscattered in growth and is found mainly on clay banks alongravines and hillsides. They may be readily separated by thefollowing key:22 The Ohio Naturalist [Vol. XIII, No. 1,1. Aerial stems evergreen, rough to a greater or less degree;cones tipped with a rigid point.a. Sheaths cylindrical, not dilated upward, usually with2 black bands, sometimes entirely black; stemsrough, tuberculate.E. hyemale.E. robustum.b. Sheath elongated, dilated upward, with a narrowblack band at the top and frequently with a secondirregular one below; stems smoothish, only slightlytuberculate.E. laevigatum.2. Aerial stems annual, smooth; cones without a point.a. Stems usually unbranched except when broken;sheaths elongated, dilated upward, with a narrowblack band at the top, rarely with a faint secondone below.E. kansanum.In conclusion, the writer wishes to express his thanks to thedirectors and curators of the three herbaria visited, for courtesiesshown in the study of the valuable materials without which thesolution of the problem to the writer's satisfaction would havebeen much more difficult.

An Undescribed Equisetum from Kansas

https://kb.osu.edu/bitstream/1811/1763/1/V13N01_019.pdf

An Undescribed Equisetum from Kansas

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

KnowledgeBank at OSU