##§*§††«^. .^«††§*§##
§*†«^..... .....^«†*§
§§§§«..... .....«§§§§
#*†^^^.... ....^^^†*#
#*§«^^^... ...^^^«§*#
###§*§†«^. ««««««««««« .^«†§*§###
##§§*§†«^. §§ §§ .^«†§*§§##
###§*§†«^. † BLUE FIRE † .^«†§*§###
###§*§†«^. §§ §§ .^«†§*§###
###§*§†«^. ««««««««««« .^«†§*§###
####§§†«^. .^«†§§####
###§*§†«^. THE .BLUE FIRE. IS A CARNIVOROUS PLANT .^«†§*§###
###§*§†«^. LIVING MOSTLY AT THE WESTERN ALVAR (BUT .^«†§*§###
##§§*§†«^. IT HAS SPREAD TO A FEW OTHER PLACES, .^«†§*§§##
###§*§†«^. MOSTLY ROCKY COASTS). .^«†§*§###
##*§§«^... ...^«§§*##
###§*§†«^. THE PLANT IS A DENSE NETWORK OF .^«†§*§###
#*†^^^.... GREEN-BROWN TENTACLE-LIKE ROOTS, WHICH ....^^^†*#
###§*§†«^. IS OFTEN CALLED "RAT'S TAIL" BEFORE .^«†§*§###
§§§««..... BLOOMING. IN LATE JUNE, IT QUICKLY .....««§§§
##§§§§†«^. SPROUTS FEELERS, TEN TO THIRTY .^«†§§§§##
##§§*§†«^. CENTIMETERS HIGH, FILLED WITH PURPLE .^«†§*§§##
§§«^^^^... HAIRS - THIS IS THE BLUE FIRE. THIS ...^^^^«§§
##§§§§†«^. STAGE LASTS FOR ONE OR TWO WEEKS, .^«†§§§§##
#§§§*§†«^. DEPENDING ON FOOD ACCESS, WATER, .^«†§*§§§#
##§§§««^.. CLIMATE. ..^««§§§##
###§*§†«^. .^«†§*§###
§§§««^.... OFTEN IT'S NOT CLEAR HOW FAR THE PLANT ....^««§§§
###§*§†«^. HAS SPREAD UNLESS ITS IN THE FIRE .^«†§*§###
####*§†«^. STAGE. SUDDENLY, AS IF OVERNIGHT, WHOLE .^«†§*####
###§*§†«^. FIELDS CAN BE TURNED ABLAZE (WITH THE .^«†§*§###
#*§«...... SAME INDIVIDUAL PLANT, AS WELL)! IN THE ......«§*#
###§*§†«^. BLOOMING PEAK, IT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR THE .^«†§*§###
###§*§†«^. WHOLE ALVAR TO BE CONNECTED NORTH-SOUTH. .^«†§*§###
###§*§†«^. .^«†§*§###
§§§*§†^... †§§«««««§§† ...^†§*§§§
###§*§†«^. .^«†§*§###
§§§§*§†«^. FIFTY WEEKS OF THE YEAR, WHILE IN RAT .^«†§*§§§§
§***†^.... STAGE, THE BLUE FIRE FEEDS ON THE STONE ....^†***§
§§«....... ITSELF VIA A SLOW CHEMICAL ATTRITION. .......«§§
#§§««..... THIS IS ENOUGH TO KEEP THE ROOTS ALIVE, .....««§§#
§**§†††«^. BUT ALL GROWTH AND PROCREATION MUST .^«†††§**§
##§§«^.... HAPPEN DURING THE TWO WEEKS IN JUNE. ....^«§§##
###§*§†«^. .^«†§*§###
###§*§†«^. NOW THE PLANT FEEDS ON BIRDS; THE .^«†§*§###
###§*§†«^. SEMISTIFF UPRIGHT FEELERS LOOKS LIKE AN .^«†§*§###
##*§†«««^. EXTENSION OF THE SEA, AND BIRDS ARE .^«««†§*##
#§§†^..... TRICKED INTO LANDING OR DIVING INTO IT. .....^†§§#
###§*§†«^. THEY ARE QUICKLY PARALYZED BY THE .^«†§*§###
###§*§†«^. POISON ON THE PURPLE HAIRS, AND .^«†§*§###
§§††^^.... DEVOURED OVER A PERIOD OF HOURS. ....^^††§§
####§*§†^. .^†§*§####
#§§††^.... PROCREATION CAN HAPPEN SEXUALLY VIA ....^††§§#
###§*§†«^. SPORES (CRYPTOGAMIA) OR ASEXUALLY WHEN .^«†§*§###
###§*§†«^. THE ROOTS ARE CUT, DIVIDING AN .^«†§*§###
#§§«...... INDIVIDUAL INTO TWO. ......«§§#
###§*§†«^. .^«†§*§###
#§§†^..... .....^†§§#
#§§*§§†«^. .^«†§§*§§#
§§««««^^.. ..^^««««§§
###§*§†«^. .^«†§*§###