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