(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.