.~-†*$£###                                          ###£$*†-~.
..~-†*$£##                                          ##£$*†-~..
...~-†*$£#                                          #£$*†-~...
....~-†*$£                                          £$*†-~....
.....~-†*$                                          $*†-~.....
......~-†*               -----------                *†-~......
.....~-†*$             **           **              $*†-~.....
....~-†*$£             †   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      $*†-~.....
......~-†*           INDIVIDUAL INTO TWO.           *†-~......
.....~-†*$                                          $*†-~.....
....~-†*$£                                          £$*†-~....
...~-†*$£#                                          #£$*†-~...
..~-†*$£##                                          ##£$*†-~..
.~-†*$£###                                          ###£$*†-~.