###¤§$^=^, ,^=^$§¤###
##¤§$^=^,, ,,^=^$§¤##
#¤§$^=^,,, ,,,^=^$§¤#
¤§$^=^,,,, ,,,,^=^$§¤
§$^=^,,,,, ,,,,,^=^$§
$^=^,,,,,, =========== ,,,,,,^=^$
^=^,,,,,,, $$ $$ ,,,,,,,^=^
$^=^,,,,,, ^ BLUE FIRE ^ ,,,,,,^=^$
§$^=^,,,,, $$ $$ ,,,,,^=^$§
¤§$^=^,,,, =========== ,,,,^=^$§¤
#¤§$^=^,,, ,,,^=^$§¤#
##¤§$^=^,, 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 ,,,,,,,^=^
$^=^,,,,,, INDIVIDUAL INTO TWO. ,,,,,,^=^$
§$^=^,,,,, ,,,,,^=^$§
¤§$^=^,,,, ,,,,^=^$§¤
#¤§$^=^,,, ,,,^=^$§¤#
##¤§$^=^,, ,,^=^$§¤##
###¤§$^=^, ,^=^$§¤###