#,#,,,,##,                                          ##,###,#,,
####,,,#,#                                          ,,##,,###,
#,,,#,,###                                          #,#,#,#,,#
,#,,##,#,,                                          ,#######,#
###,#,###,                                          ##,,,,,,##
,,,####,,#               «««««««««««                ,,#,,,,,#,
,,,#,,,#,#             %%           %%              ,,##,,,,##
#,,##,,###            *   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.           ,,#,,,###,
,#,,,,,,#,                                          ,,##,,#,,#
###,,,,,##                                          ,,#,#,##,#
,,,#,,,,#,                                          ,,#####,##
#,,##,,,##                                          ,,#,,,,##,
##,#,#,,#,                                          #,##,,,#,#