&&...&&&.. &&&&&.&&..
&.&..&..&. .....&&.&.
&&&&.&&.&& &....&.&&&
....&&.&&. &&...&&&..
....&.&&.& &.&..&..&.
....&&&.&& (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. &.&&..&...
.&..&..&&& .&&.&.&&..
.&&.&&.&.. &&.&&&&.&.
.&.&&.&&&. ..&&...&&&
&&&&.&&..& &.&.&..&..
&...&&.&.& .&&&&&.&&.