§^*~......                                          ......~*^§
^*~.......                                          .......~*^
*~........                                          ........~*
~.........                                          .........~
..........                                          ..........
..........                (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.          .......~*^
*~........                                          ........~*
~.........                                          .........~
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........