##.####..#                                          .##..#.###
..##...#.#                                          ##.#.###..
..#.#..###                                          ..####..#.
..####.#..                                          ..#...#.##
#.#...###.                                          #.##..###.
####..#..#               (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.          ..........
....##.#.#                                          ..........
....#.####                                          ..........
....###...                                          #.........
....#..#..                                          ##........
....##.##.                                          #.#.......