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