.,-/**&&£#                                          #£&&**/-,.
.....-**&&                                          &&**-.....
....--/**&                                          &**/--....
......-/*£                                          £*/-......
....,-*&&£                                          £&&*-,....
.,-/**&&£#                (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.         ##£&**/-,.
.,-/**&£##                                          ##£&**/-,.
......-/*&                                          &*/-......
.,-/**&###                                          ###&**/-,.
....,/*&&&                                          &&&*/,....
.,-/**&£##                                          ##£&**/-,.