(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.