.....~;†%§                                          §%†;~.....
....~;†%§#                                          #§%†;~....
...~;†%§##                                          ##§%†;~...
..~;†%§###                                          ###§%†;~..
...~;†%§##                                          ##§%†;~...
....~;†%§#               ~~~~~~~~~~~                #§%†;~....
.....~;†%§             ††           ††              §%†;~.....
......~;†%            ;   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.           ..........
.........~                                          ~.........
........~;                                          ;~........
.......~;†                                          †;~.......
......~;†%                                          %†;~......
.....~;†%§                                          §%†;~.....