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