¨¨##¨¨¨###                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨##¨#
#¨###¨¨#¨#                                          #¨¨¨¨¨##¨¨
¨¨#¨##¨¨¨¨                                          ¨#¨¨¨¨###¨
¨¨¨¨###¨¨¨                                          ¨¨#¨¨¨#¨##
#¨¨¨#¨##¨¨                                          ¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨##
##¨¨¨¨###¨                (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.          ¨¨#¨¨#¨¨#¨
###¨¨¨¨¨##                                          ¨¨¨#¨¨#¨¨¨
#¨##¨¨¨¨#¨                                          ¨¨¨¨#¨¨#¨¨
¨¨###¨¨¨¨¨                                          #¨¨¨¨#¨¨#¨
¨¨#¨##¨¨¨¨                                          ¨#¨¨¨¨#¨¨#
#¨¨¨###¨¨¨                                          ¨¨#¨¨¨¨#¨¨