.~«=§§§££#                                          #££§§§=«~.
.....~=%£@                                          @£%=~.....
.~«=§%£@##                                          ##@£%§=«~.
....~~==%£                                          £%==~~....
.....«=§§£                                          £§§=«.....
.~«=§%£@##                (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.          #£%§=««...
.~«=§%£@##                                          ##@£%§=«~.
.~«=§%@###                                          ###@%§=«~.
....~«§£££                                          £££§«~....
.....~=§£@                                          @£§=~.....
.~«=§%£@##                                          ##@£%§=«~.