.:~/%*@£##                                          ##£@*%/~:.
.:~/%*@£##                                          ##£@*%/~:.
....:///*£                                          £*///:....
....:~%%@£                                          £@%%~:....
...~~~/%@£                                          £@%/~~~...
.....:/**@                ~~~~~~~~~~~               @**/:.....
.:~/%*@£##             %%           %%              ##£@*%/~:.
...:~//*@#             /   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.           ##£@*%/~:.
.:~/%*@£##                                          ##£@*%/~:.
.:~/%*@£##                                          ##£@*%/~:.
.:~/%**@£#                                          #£@**%/~:.
...:~~%**@                                          @**%~~:...
.....~%*@@                                          @@*%~.....