#§&§=~:...                                          ...:~=§&§#
##§&§=~:..                                          ..:~=§&§##
###§&§=~:.                                          .:~=§&§###
##§&§=~:..                                          ..:~=§&§##
#§&§=~:...                                          ...:~=§&§#
§&§=~:....                (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.         ......:~=§
&§=~:.....                                          .....:~=§&
§&§=~:....                                          ....:~=§&§
#§&§=~:...                                          ...:~=§&§#
##§&§=~:..                                          ..:~=§&§##
###§&§=~:.                                          .:~=§&§###