#$==~~~...                                          ...~~~==$#
###§$=:~^.                                          .^~:=$§###
§=:::~^...                                          ...^~:::=§
#$:::::~^.                                          .^~:::::$#
####§$=:~.                                          .~:=$§####
#§§==~....                (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.         ......~:=§
#§=~^.....                                          .....^~=§#
#§§=~.....                                          .....~=§§#
###§$=:~^.                                          .^~:=$§###
#§==~^....                                          ....^~==§#
##§$$=:~^.                                          .^~:=$$§##