,,,,,,,,,&                                          ,,&,,&,,,,
&&&&&&&&,,                                          &,,,,,,&&&
&&&&&&&,,&                                          ,,&&&&,,&&
&&&&&&,,,,                                          &,,&&,,,,&
&&&&&,,&&,                                          ,,,,,,&&,,
,&&&,,,,,,               (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.          &,,,,,,&&&
&&&&&&,,,,                                          ,,&&&&,,&&
&&&&&,,&&&                                          &,,&&,,,,&
&&&&,,,,&&                                          ,,,,,,&&,,
,&&,,&&,,,                                          &&&&&,,,,,
,,,,,,,,&&                                          ,&&&,,&&&&