........=†                                          †=........
.........=                                          =.........
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..........               (EQUISETUM)                ..........
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.........=         ..=†=.. 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                   ..........
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..........         ..=†=.. IN MAGIC ..=†=..         ..........
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.........= 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.         #££%*†=...
..=†*%££##                                          ##££%*†=..
...=†*%££#                                          #££%*†=...
....=†*%££                                          ££%*†=....
.....=†*%£                                          £%*†=.....
......=†*%                                          %*†=......