,&,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,&&,,,
,,,&&&&&&&                                          ,&&&,,,,&&
,&,,&&&&&&                                          ,,&,,&&,,,
,,,,,&&&&&                                          ,,,,,,,,&&
,&&&,,&&&&                                          &&&&&&&,,,
,,&,,,,&&&               (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.          &&&&&&,,&&
&&&&,,,,,,                                          &&&&&,,,,&
&&&,,&&&&&                                          &&&&,,&&,,
,&,,,,&&&&                                          &&&,,,,,,,
,,,&&,,&&,                                          &&,,&&&&&&
,&,,,,,,,,                                          &,,,,&&&&,