(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.