(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.