...~«===§@                                          @§===«~...
......«==§                                          §==«......
.~«*=££§§@                                          @§§££=*«~.
.....~**£§                                          §£**~.....
.~«*=§@@##                                          ##@@§=*«~.
.~«*=£§@@@                (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.         @£*~~.....
.....~*=§§                                          §§=*~.....
.~«*=££§§@                                          @§§££=*«~.
.~«*=£§@@#                                          #@@§£=*«~.
.~«*=£§@@@                                          @@@§£=*«~.
....~~~*£@                                          @£*~~~....