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