&&&..&.&.. .&&&&&&&..
.&&.&&.&.& &.&&&&&&.&
..&..&.&.. &..&&&&&.&
.&&.&&.&.& &.&.&&&&.&
..&..&.&.. &.&..&&&.&
.&&.&&.&.& (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. &.&.&.&&.&
..&..&.&.. &.&.&..&.&
.&&.&&.&.& &.&.&.&&.&
..&..&.&.. &.&.&..&.&
.&&.&&.&.& &.&.&.&&.&
..&..&.&.. &.&.&..&.&