###.#...##                                          ####.#.###
..###..#.#                                          ...####...
.#..#.###.                                          ..#...#...
##.###..#.                                          .##..##...
.##..#.##.                                          #.#.#.#..#
#.#.###.##               (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.          ...####...
#.#..##...                                          ..#...#..#
###.#.#...                                          .##..##.#.
..#####..#                                          #.#.#.####
.#....#.##                                          ######...#
##...###..                                          .....#..##