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@£%%~.....               (equisetum)                .....~%%£@
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#@££%%/~:.        .:~/~:. 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                  .:~/%%££@#
£££%/~:...                                          ...:~/%£££
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££%~~:....         .:~/~:. 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.          ......:/%£
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