...~~»%@@@ @@@%»~~...
.~»:%@@### ###@@%:»~.
...~»»»%@# #@%»»»~...
.....~»%@# #@%»~.....
....~»»%@# #@%»»~....
.~»%@@¶### »»»»»»»»»»» ###¶@@%»~.
.~»:%%%%@¶ %% %% ¶@%%%%:»~.
....»:@@@¶ : 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. #@%:~~....
.~»:%@@¶## ##¶@@%:»~.
.~»:%%@@@¶ ¶@@@%%:»~.
.~»:%@@¶## ##¶@@%:»~.
.~»:%@@¶## ##¶@@%:»~.
.~»:%@@¶## ##¶@@%:»~.