,,,--==\*@                                          @*\==--,,,
,,,-==**%@                                          @%**==-,,,
,-=\*@####                                          ####@*\=-,
,-=\\\%%%@                                          @%%%\\\=-,
,-=\*%@###                                          ###@%*\=-,
,-=\*%@###               (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.         ###@%*\=-,
,,,,-==*%#                                          #%*==-,,,,
,-=\*%@###                                          ###@%*\=-,
,-=\*%@###                                          ###@%*\=-,
,-=\*%@###                                          ###@%*\=-,
,-=\*%@###                                          ###@%*\=-,