¨¨¨¨~~~†$@                                          @$†~~~¨¨¨¨
¨:~^†$@###                                          ###@$†^~:¨
¨::::^^†&&                                          &&†^^::::¨
¨¨¨¨:^^$&&                                          &&$^^:¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨:^^$$@@                                          @@$$^^:¨¨¨
¨:~^†$&@##                (equisetum)               ##@&$†^~:¨
¨:~^††$$@#                                          #@$$††^~:¨
¨:~^†$$$&#                                          #&$$$†^~:¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~††&                                          &††~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨:~^†$&@##        ¨:~^~:¨ the plant ¨:~^~:¨         ##@&$†^~:¨
¨:~^†$&@##                                          ##@&$†^~:¨
¨:~^†$&@## the equisetum  is  a  plant  much  older ##@&$†^~:¨
¨:~^†$&@## than  ferns,  which  are  in  turn  much ##@&$†^~:¨
¨¨¨¨¨~†&&# 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 @@$$^~::¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨:^$@ separate  planes,  a few  centimeters in @$^:¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨:~^†$&@## height.   time  can  get  diffracted  in ##@&$†^~:¨
¨:~^†$&@## these,  hitting  each   in  turn  in   a ##@&$†^~:¨
¨¨¨¨:~†$@@      slightly different angle, and       @@$†~:¨¨¨¨
¨:~^†$&@##         eventually spread thin.          ##@&$†^~:¨
¨:~^†$&@##                                          ##@&$†^~:¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨:^$@                                          @$^:¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨:~^†$&@##                                          ##@&$†^~:¨
¨¨¨~~^$&@#                                          #@&$^~~¨¨¨
¨:~^†$&&&#                                          #&&&$†^~:¨