¨@@¨¨@¨@¨¨                                          ¨¨@¨@@@¨¨¨
@¨@¨@@¨@¨¨                                          ¨@@¨¨@@¨¨¨
@¨@¨¨@¨@¨@                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨¨@
@¨@¨@@¨@¨¨                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨¨@¨@¨@                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@@¨@¨¨               (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.          @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨¨@¨@¨@                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@@¨@¨¨                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨¨@¨@¨@                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@@¨@¨¨                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨¨@¨@¨@                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨