....~»:**& &**:»~....
.....~»:** **:»~.....
......~»:* *:»~......
.......~»: :»~.......
........~» »~........
.......~»: (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. #&**:»~...
..~»:**# ##&**:»~..
.~»:**## ###&**:»~.
..~»:**# ##&**:»~..
...~»:** #&**:»~...
....~»:**& &**:»~....