,,,,,,^«;*                                          *;«^,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^«;                                          ;«^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^«                                          «^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^«;                                          ;«^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,^«;*                                          *;«^,,,,,,
,,,,,^«;*%                (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.          ##££%*;«^,
,,^«;*%££#                                          #££%*;«^,,
,,,^«;*%££                                          ££%*;«^,,,
,,,,^«;*%£                                          £%*;«^,,,,
,,,,,^«;*%                                          %*;«^,,,,,
,,,,,,^«;*                                          *;«^,,,,,,