.......&.. ..........
&&&&&&...& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&..&.. &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&.....& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&..&&&.. &&&&&&&&&&
&&....&..& (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. &&..&&&&&&
.....&&&&& &....&&&&.
&&&&..&&&& ..&&..&&..
.&&....&&& ..........
....&&..&. &&&&&&&&&&
.&&....... .&&&&&&&&.