&&$$**~... ...~**$$&&
#@#&$**»~. .~»**$&#@#
@&$*~..... .....~*$&@
@&$***»»~. .~»»***$&@
#@#&$**»~. .~»**$&#@#
#@#&$**»~. (EQUISETUM) .~»**$&#@#
###&$**»~. .~»**$&###
#@#&$**»~. .~»**$&#@#
&$***»~... ...~»***$&
##@#&$*»~. .~»*»~. THE PLANT .~»*»~. .~»*$&#@##
##$***»... ...»***$##
##@#&$**~. THE EQUISETUM IS A PLANT MUCH OLDER .~**$&#@##
@##&$**»~. THAN FERNS, WHICH ARE IN TURN MUCH .~»**$&##@
@&&&$**»~. OLDER THAN MOST TREES. IT'S LIGHT GREEN .~»**$&&&@
&**~...... 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 ....~***&#
#$***».... EVENTUALLY SPREAD THIN. ....»***$#
#$*»...... ......»*$#
&$$*»..... .....»*$$&
##&&$**»~. .~»**$&&##
&$*»»~~~.. ..~~~»»*$&
#$$**»~~.. ..~~»**$$#