.~~†*$@###                                          ###@$*†~~.
.~~†*$@###                                          ###@$*†~~.
.~~†*$@###                                          ###@$*†~~.
...~~~~**@                                          @**~~~~...
.....~~†*@                                          @*†~~.....
.~~†*$@###                (EQUISETUM)               ###@$*†~~.
.~~†*$@###                                          ###@$*†~~.
.~~†*$@###                                          ###@$*†~~.
.~~†*$@###                                          ###@$*†~~.
.~~†*$@###        .~~†~~. THE PLANT .~~†~~.         ###@$*†~~.
.~~†*$@###                                          ###@$*†~~.
..~~~†**$@ THE  EQUISETUM IS  A  PLANT  MUCH  OLDER @$**†~~~..
.~~†*$@### THAN  FERNS,  WHICH  ARE  IN  TURN  MUCH ###@$*†~~.
.....~†$@# OLDER THAN  MOST TREES. IT'S LIGHT GREEN #@$†~.....
.....~~*@# 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 #@*††~~...
.~~~~†$$$@ THESE,  HITTING   EACH   IN  TURN  IN  A @$$$†~~~~.
.~~*$@####      SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT ANGLE, AND       ####@$*~~.
....~†*$$#          EVENTUALLY SPREAD THIN.         #$$*†~....
.....~~†$#                                          #$†~~.....
.~~†*$@###                                          ###@$*†~~.
.~~†*$$@@@                                          @@@$$*†~~.
.~~~†††**@                                          @**†††~~~.
...~~†$$##                                          ##$$†~~...