..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
.........~               (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.          ###&&%*-~.
..~-*%&&##                                          ##&&%*-~..
...~-*%&&#                                          #&&%*-~...
....~-*%&&                                          &&%*-~....
.....~-*%&                                          &%*-~.....
......~-*%                                          %*-~......