(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.