,,~\*****¶ ¶*****\~,,
,,~\**&¶@@ @@¶&**\~,,
,,~\**&¶@# #@¶&**\~,,
,,,,,~*&¶¶ ¶¶&*~,,,,,
,,~~~~~\*¶ ¶*\~~~~~,,
,,~\\**&&& (EQUISETUM) &&&**\\~,,
,,,,\\*&&@ @&&*\\,,,,
,,,,~\**¶¶ ¶¶**\~,,,,
,,~\****¶¶ ¶¶****\~,,
,,~\**&@## ,,~\~,, THE PLANT ,,~\~,, ##@&**\~,,
,,,,,~**&¶ ¶&**~,,,,,
,,~\**&¶@@ THE EQUISETUM IS A PLANT MUCH OLDER @@¶&**\~,,
,,,,,,\**& THAN FERNS, WHICH ARE IN TURN MUCH &**\,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~*& OLDER THAN MOST TREES. IT'S LIGHT GREEN &*~,,,,,,,
,,~\**&¶@# TO YELLOW IN COLOR AND IS SLIGHTLY #@¶&**\~,,
,,~\**&¶@# TRANSPARENT. #@¶&**\~,,
,,~\**&@## ##@&**\~,,
,,~\*&¶@## THE PLANT HAS A SPINE. EACH VERTEBRA IS ##@¶&*\~,,
,,,~~~\\*& STACKED UPON THE NEXT, WITH SPOKELIKE &*\\~~~,,,
,,,,,~\**& RIBS RADIATING OUTWARD. EVEN SO, IT'S &**\~,,,,,
,,~\**&¶@# VERY LIGHT, BEING HOLLOW. IT'S ROUGHLY #@¶&**\~,,
,,~\**&¶@# THE HEIGHT OF A FOXES TAIL, AND SHARES #@¶&**\~,,
,,~\**&¶@# A SIMILAR PLUMAGE. #@¶&**\~,,
,,,,,~*&¶@ @¶&*~,,,,,
,,~\**&¶@# IT LIKES PARTIAL SHADE AND VERY DAMP #@¶&**\~,,
,,~\**&¶@@ AREAS @@¶&**\~,,
,,,,\\*&¶@ @¶&*\\,,,,
,,,,,,~*&¶ ¶&*~,,,,,,
,,,,,\**&@ @&**\,,,,,
,,~\*****¶ ,,~\~,, IN MAGIC ,,~\~,, ¶*****\~,,
,,,,,~~*&@ @&*~~,,,,,
,,~\**&¶@# WHEN A COLONY NUMBERS HIGH ENOUGH, IT #@¶&**\~,,
,,,,\****& SLICES THE AIR IN THE FOREST INTO &****\,,,,
,,,,\\\*&¶ SEPARATE PLANES, A FEW CENTIMETERS IN ¶&*\\\,,,,
,,~\**&@## HEIGHT. TIME CAN GET DIFFRACTED IN ##@&**\~,,
,,,,,,~\*& THESE, HITTING EACH IN TURN IN A &*\~,,,,,,
,,~\**&¶@# SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT ANGLE, AND #@¶&**\~,,
,,,,,,,~*& EVENTUALLY SPREAD THIN. &*~,,,,,,,
,,,,\***&¶ ¶&***\,,,,
,,~\**&¶@@ @@¶&**\~,,
,,~~~\***& &***\~~~,,
,,,,,,~*&& &&*~,,,,,,
,,~\**&¶¶¶ ¶¶¶&**\~,,