||Eq`ui*se"tum (?), n.; 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.
&fist; 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.