..:~/†*###                                          ###*†/~:..
.:~/†*####                                          ####*†/~:.
..:~/†*###                                          ###*†/~:..
...:~/†*##                                          ##*†/~:...
....:~/†*#                                          #*†/~:....
.....:~/†*               (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.         *†/~:.....
....:~/†*#                                          #*†/~:....
...:~/†*##                                          ##*†/~:...
..:~/†*###                                          ###*†/~:..
.:~/†*####                                          ####*†/~:.
..:~/†*###                                          ###*†/~:..