¤%%††::...                                          ...::††%%¤
#¤¤§§=:...                                          ...:=§§¤¤#
###¤%§†=:.                                          .:=†§%¤###
#¤%%††==:.                                          .:==††%%¤#
###¤%§†=:.                                          .:=†§%¤###
###¤%§†=:.                ===========               .:=†§%¤###
###¤%§†=:.              §§           §§             .:=†§%¤###
###¤%§†=:.             †   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.           .:=†§%¤###
###¤%§†=:.                                          .:=†§%¤###
###¤%§†=:.                                          .:=†§%¤###
##%%††:...                                          ...:††%%##
####¤%§†=:                                          :=†§%¤####
###¤%§†=:.                                          .:=†§%¤###