¨¨¨¨¨¨~:&@                                          @&:~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨~«:=&###@                                          @###&=:«~¨
¨~«:=&#@##                                          ##@#&=:«~¨
¨~«:::=&&@                                          @&&=:::«~¨
¨~«:=&#@##                                          ##@#&=:«~¨
¨¨¨¨~~«=##                (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.          @@#&=«¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~:&&#                                          #&&:~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨«:&##                                          ##&:«¨¨¨¨¨
¨~«:=&#@##                                          ##@#&=:«~¨
¨~«:=&@###                                          ###@&=:«~¨
¨~«:=&#@##                                          ##@#&=:«~¨