.,~*%%@###                                          ###@%%*~,.
.,~*%%@###                                          ###@%%*~,.
.,~*%%@###                                          ###@%%*~,.
...,*%%@##                                          ##@%%*,...
.,,~***%@#                                          #@%***~,,.
......~%@@               (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.          ###@%%*~,.
.,~*%%%%##                                          ##%%%%*~,.
.....~%%@@                                          @@%%~.....
.,~*%%@###                                          ###@%%*~,.
.....~%@##                                          ##@%~.....
.....~%%##                                          ##%%~.....