(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.