.:~\%@&###                                          ###&@%\~:.
.....:\@##                                          ##@\:.....
.....~%%@&                                          &@%%~.....
.:~\%@&###                                          ###&@%\~:.
.:~\%@&###                                          ###&@%\~:.
.:~\%@&###               (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.         #&&%~.....
.:~\%&####                                          ####&%\~:.
.....~\@&&                                          &&@\~.....
.:~\%@&###                                          ###&@%\~:.
.:~\%@&###                                          ###&@%\~:.
.:~\%@&###                                          ###&@%\~:.