&¤*†«^....                                          ....^«†*¤&
¤*†«^.....                                          .....^«†*¤
*†«^......                                          ......^«†*
†«^.......                                          .......^«†
«^........                                          ........^«
^.........               (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.         .....^«†*¤
*†«^......                                          ......^«†*
†«^.......                                          .......^«†
«^........                                          ........^«
^.........                                          .........^
..........                                          ..........