#@@§%%:~^¨                                          ¨^~:%%§@@#
@@§§%%:~^¨                                          ¨^~:%%§§@@
§%%:~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~:%%§
§§%:~~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~~:%§§
§§%~^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^~%§§
@@§%:^^¨¨¨               (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.         ¨^~:%%§§§@
§%:^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^:%§
##@@§%:~^¨                                          ¨^~:%§@@##
@§%:~~^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^~~:%§@
##@§%%:~^¨                                          ¨^~:%%§@##
§%~^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~%§