(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.