###&§%\=~.                                          .~=\%§&###
###&§%\=~.                                          .~=\%§&###
###&§%\=~.                                          .~=\%§&###
###&§%\=~.                                          .~=\%§&###
###&§%\=~.                                          .~=\%§&###
###&§%\=~.                (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.         ....~==\§#
###&§%\=~.                                          .~=\%§&###
#&§§§%\=~.                                          .~=\%§§§&#
###&§%\=~.                                          .~=\%§&###
###&§%\=~.                                          .~=\%§&###
###&§%\=~.                                          .~=\%§&###