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