###@§%*«~¨                                          ¨~«*%§@###
##@§%*«~¨¨                                          ¨¨~«*%§@##
#@§%*«~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~«*%§@#
@§%*«~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~«*%§@
§%*«~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~«*%§
%*«~¨¨¨¨¨¨                (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.         ¨¨¨¨¨¨~«*%
§%*«~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~«*%§
@§%*«~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~«*%§@
#@§%*«~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~«*%§@#
##@§%*«~¨¨                                          ¨¨~«*%§@##
###@§%*«~¨                                          ¨~«*%§@###