.#..#####.                                          .....##...
.##.#....#                                          .....#.#..
.#.###...#                                          #....####.
.###..#..#                                          ##...#...#
##..#.##.#                                          #.#..##..#
..#.###.##                (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.         ##..###.##
##.#.##.#.                                          ..#.#..##.
#.####.###                                          #.####.#.#
.##...##..                                          .##...####
##.#..#.#.                                          ##.#..#...
#.###.####                                          #.###.##..