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