=-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-=
*=-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-=*
$*=-¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨-=*$
*$*=-¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨-=*$*
£*$*=-¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨-=*$*£
#£*$*=-¨¨¨                (equisetum)               ¨¨¨-=*$*£#
##£*$*=-¨¨                                          ¨¨-=*$*£##
###£*$*=-¨                                          ¨-=*$*£###
##£*$*=-¨¨                                          ¨¨-=*$*£##
#£*$*=-¨¨¨         ¨-=*=-¨ the plant ¨-=*=-¨        ¨¨¨-=*$*£#
£*$*=-¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨-=*$*£
*$*=-¨¨¨¨¨ the  equisetum  is  a  plant much  older ¨¨¨¨¨-=*$*
$*=-¨¨¨¨¨¨ than  ferns,  which  are  in  turn  much ¨¨¨¨¨¨-=*$
*=-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-=*
$*=-¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨-=*$
*$*=-¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨-=*$*
£*$*=-¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨-=*$*£
#£*$*=-¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨-=*$*£#
##£*$*=-¨¨                                          ¨¨-=*$*£##