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Webster 1913 Edition
Equisetum
‖
Eqˊui-se′tum
,Noun.
pl.
Equiseta
(#)
. [L., the horsetail, fr.
equus
horse + seta
a thick,, stiff hair, bristle.] (Bot.)
A genus of vascular, cryptogamic, herbaceous plants; – also called
horsetails
. ☞ The
Equiseta
have hollow jointed stems and no true leaves. The cuticle often contains siliceous granules, so that one species (E. hyemale
) is used for scouring and polishing, under the name of Dutch rush
or scouring rush
.