(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.