.....~~^*& &*^~~.....
....~~^*&# #&*^~~....
...~~^*&#@ @#&*^~~...
..~~^*&#@# #@#&*^~~..
.~~^*&#@## ##@#&*^~~.
..~~^*&#@# (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. ~~........
.......~~^ ^~~.......
......~~^* *^~~......
.....~~^*& &*^~~.....
....~~^*&# #&*^~~....
...~~^*&#@ @#&*^~~...