&&,,,&&,,,                                          ,&&,&,,&,,
&,&,,&,&,,                                          ,&,&&&,&&,
&&&&,&&&&,                                          &&&&,,&&,&
,,,,&&,,,&                                          ,,,,&,&,&&
&,,,&,&,,&                                          &,,,&&&&&,
&&,,&&&&,&               (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.         &,&,,&&,&&
&&,&&,,&,&                                          ,&&&,&,&&,
&,&&,&,&&&                                          ,&,,&&&&,&
,&&,&&&&,,                                          ,&&,&,,,&&
&&,&&,,,&,                                          ,&,&&&,,&,
&,&&,&,,&&                                          &&&&,,&,&&