.&.&..&&.& .&..&.....
....&.&&.. ..&..&....
......&&&. ...&..&...
......&.&& ....&..&..
........&& &....&..&.
........&. (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. ....&.....
...&&&..&. &....&....
...&.&&... .&....&...
.....&&&.. ..&....&..
.....&.&&. ...&....&.
.......&&& ....&....&