##@¤@§:~,. .,~:§@¤@##
##@¤@§:~,. .,~:§@¤@##
##@¤@§:~,. .,~:§@¤@##
¤¤@§:~,,.. ..,,~:§@¤¤
@¤@@§§:~,. .,~:§§@@¤@
#¤§:~..... ~~~~~~~~~~~ .....~:§¤#
¤¤@@:~~,.. §§ §§ ..,~~:@@¤¤
@@¤@:~~~,. : 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. ....,,:§@¤
@@@§~..... .....~§@@@
##@¤@§:~,. .,~:§@¤@##
##@¤@§:~,. .,~:§@¤@##
###@@§:~,. .,~:§@@###
##@¤@§:~,. .,~:§@¤@##