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