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