#..##.....                                          #..#....#.
.#.###....                                          ##..#.....
...#.##...                                          .##..#....
.....###..                                          .###..#...
.....#.##.                                          .#.##..#..
.......###               (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.         .#.....#..
.#...#..#.                                          ..#.....#.
..#...#..#                                          #..#.....#
#..#...#..                                          .#..#.....
.#..#...#.                                          ..#..#....
..#..#...#                                          #..#..#...