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