,,,,,:~\%* *%\~:,,,,,
,,,,:~\%*# #*%\~:,,,,
,,,:~\%*#@ @#*%\~:,,,
,,:~\%*#@@ @@#*%\~:,,
,:~\%*#@@# #@@#*%\~:,
,,:~\%*#@@ (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. @@#*%\~:,,
,,,:~\%*#@ @#*%\~:,,,
,,,,:~\%*# #*%\~:,,,,
,,,,,:~\%* *%\~:,,,,,
,,,,,,:~\% %\~:,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:~\ \~:,,,,,,,