(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.