§§.§§..§§§                                          .§.§§.§§.§
..§§.§.§..                                          .§§§.§§.§§
§.§.§§§§§.                                          .§..§§.§§.
§§§§§....§                                          §§§.§.§§.§
.....§...§                                          §..§§§§.§§
§....§§..§               (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.          §§§§§.§§..
§§§.§§§...                                          .....§§.§.
§..§§..§..                                          §....§.§§§
.§.§.§.§§.                                          §§...§§§..
.§§§§§§§.§                                          §.§..§..§.
.§......§§                                          .§§§.§§.§§