##@§&%\«~.                                          .~«\%&§@##
#@§&%\«~..                                          ..~«\%&§@#
@§&%\«~...                                          ...~«\%&§@
§&%\«~....                                          ....~«\%&§
&%\«~.....                                          .....~«\%&
%\«~......                (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.         ......~«\%
&%\«~.....                                          .....~«\%&
§&%\«~....                                          ....~«\%&§
@§&%\«~...                                          ...~«\%&§@
#@§&%\«~..                                          ..~«\%&§@#
##@§&%\«~.                                          .~«\%&§@##