####*%=~.,                                          ,.~=%*####
###*%=~.,,                                          ,,.~=%*###
##*%=~.,,,                                          ,,,.~=%*##
#*%=~.,,,,                                          ,,,,.~=%*#
*%=~.,,,,,                                          ,,,,,.~=%*
%=~.,,,,,,                (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.          ,,.~=%*###
##*%=~.,,,                                          ,,,.~=%*##
#*%=~.,,,,                                          ,,,,.~=%*#
*%=~.,,,,,                                          ,,,,,.~=%*
%=~.,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,.~=%
=~.,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,.~=