.,=*%$@@##                                          ##@@$%*=,.
.,=*%$@@@#                                          #@@@$%*=,.
....,,**$@                                          @$**,,....
.,=*%$@@##                                          ##@@$%*=,.
....,=%@@@                                          @@@%=,....
.,=*%$@###               (EQUISETUM)                ###@$%*=,.
.,=*%$@@##                                          ##@@$%*=,.
....,**%$@                                          @$%**,....
.......=%@                                          @%=.......
.,=*%$@@##        .,=*=,. THE PLANT .,=*=,.         ##@@$%*=,.
...==**$@@                                          @@$**==...
.,=*%$@@## THE  EQUISETUM  IS  A  PLANT MUCH  OLDER ##@@$%*=,.
,=*%$@@### THAN  FERNS,  WHICH  ARE  IN  TURN  MUCH ###@@$%*=,
...,=%%$@@ OLDER THAN MOST TREES.  IT'S LIGHT GREEN @@$%%=,...
.,=*%$@@## TO  YELLOW  IN  COLOR  AND  IS  SLIGHTLY ##@@$%*=,.
......,*$@               TRANSPARENT.               @$*,......
.,=*%$@@##                                          ##@@$%*=,.
....==*%%@ 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       @%%%==....
...,*%%$$@          EVENTUALLY SPREAD THIN.         @$$%%*,...
.,=*%$@@##                                          ##@@$%*=,.
.,,,=*%@@#                                          #@@%*=,,,.
.....,*%@#                                          #@%*,.....
.....===%@                                          @%===.....
.,=*%$@@##                                          ##@@$%*=,.