(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.