..&.....&& &&&...&...
&...&&&... &&..&...&&
..&..&..&& &.....&..&
.......... ..&&&.....
&&&&&&&&&& &..&..&&&&
&&&&&&&&&. (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. ..&&..&...
&&&&..&&&& ........&&
&&&....&&. &&&&&&&..&
&&..&&.... &&&&&&....
.......&&& &&&&&..&&.
&&&&&&..&& .&&&......