.,=*^*###@                                          @###*^*=,.
.....=**##                                          ##**=.....
.,=*^*##@#                                          #@##*^*=,.
...=****##                                          ##****=...
.,=*^*##@#                                          #@##*^*=,.
.,=**##@##               (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.         ###^*,....
...,===^##                                          ##^===,...
......=^##                                          ##^=......
.,=*^*##@#                                          #@##*^*=,.
.,=*^*#@##                                          ##@#*^*=,.
.....,**##                                          ##**,.....