,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,               (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.          ##@&**\«,,
,,,«\**&@#                                          #@&**\«,,,
,,,,«\**&@                                          @&**\«,,,,
,,,,,«\**&                                          &**\«,,,,,
,,,,,,«\**                                          **\«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«\*                                          *\«,,,,,,,