##.#......                                          ..#.####..
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#..#....#.                                          #..#..####
#.##...###                                          #.##.#....
##.#..#..#                                          ##.###...#
.###.##.#.                (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                  #....##..#
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...#....#.                                          #.#....#.#
..##...##.         .~~/~~. 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.          ..#.#####.
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.##.#.....                                          ##.#.#.#.#
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