....,~\†%§                                          §%†\~,....
...,~\†%§#                                          #§%†\~,...
..,~\†%§#@                                          @#§%†\~,..
.,~\†%§#@#                                          #@#§%†\~,.
..,~\†%§#@                                          @#§%†\~,..
...,~\†%§#                (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.         \~,.......
........,~                                          ~,........
.......,~\                                          \~,.......
......,~\†                                          †\~,......
.....,~\†%                                          %†\~,.....
....,~\†%§                                          §%†\~,....