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