¨###¨###¨¨                                          #¨¨#¨¨¨#¨#
#¨¨##¨¨#¨#                                          #¨##¨¨####
#¨#¨#¨####                                          ##¨#¨#¨¨¨¨
######¨¨¨#                                          ¨#####¨¨¨#
¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨#¨                                          #¨¨¨¨#¨¨#¨
¨¨¨¨##¨##¨                (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.          ¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨
¨##¨###¨##                                          ¨¨¨¨##¨¨¨#
#¨##¨¨##¨¨                                          ¨¨¨#¨#¨¨##
##¨#¨#¨#¨¨                                          ¨¨####¨#¨¨
¨#######¨#                                          ¨#¨¨¨###¨#
#¨¨¨¨¨¨##¨                                          ##¨¨#¨¨###