(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.