#.#.###...                                          ########.#
####..#...                                          .......##.
...#.##..#                                          ......#.##
..###.#.##                                          .....###.#
.#..####.#                                          ....#..###
##.#...###               (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.          ..###.#.#.
.#..##..#.                                          .#..#####.
##.#.#.###                                          ##.#....#.
.######..#                                          .###...###
#.....#.##                                          #..#..#..#
#....###.#                                          #.##.##.#.