...^**%%##                                          ##%%**^...
.^-*%$#@##                                          ##@#$%*-^.
......-%#@                                          @#%-......
.^-*%$#@##                                          ##@#$%*-^.
.^-*%$$#@@                                          @@#$$%*-^.
....-*%%$@               (equisetum)                @$%%*-....
.^-*%$#@##                                          ##@#$%*-^.
.....-%###                                          ###%-.....
....^-*$@#                                          #@$*-^....
.^-*%$@###         .^-*-^. the plant .^-*-^.        ###@$%*-^.
.^-*%$#@##                                          ##@#$%*-^.
.....^-%## 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 @#%-^.....
.^-*%$#@## height.  time  can  get  diffracted   in ##@#$%*-^.
.^-*%$###@ these,  hitting   each  in  turn  in   a @###$%*-^.
.....^-%$@       slightly different angle, and      @$%-^.....
.^-*%$#@@@         eventually spread thin.          @@@#$%*-^.
.^-*%$#@##                                          ##@#$%*-^.
.^-*%$#@@@                                          @@@#$%*-^.
.^-*%$####                                          ####$%*-^.
.^-*%$#@##                                          ##@#$%*-^.
.^-*%$$###                                          ###$$%*-^.