@%;;;;^...                                          ...^;;;;%@
#%;;^.....                                          .....^;;%#
##@#%%;«^.                                          .^«;%%#@##
##@#%%;«^.                                          .^«;%%#@##
##%«......                                          ......«%##
##@#%%;«^.               (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.         .^«;%%#@##
@%%;«.....                                          .....«;%%@
##%;^.....                                          .....^;%##
@#%%%%;«^.                                          .^«;%%%%#@
@##%%%;«^.                                          .^«;%%%##@
@###%%;«^.                                          .^«;%%###@