...~~~=§¤# #¤§=~~~...
.,~===§%%¤ ¤%%§===~,.
.,~=§%¤### ###¤%§=~,.
.,~=§%¤### ###¤%§=~,.
.....,=§%¤ ¤%§=,.....
.,~=§%¤### ~~~~~~~~~~~ ###¤%§=~,.
.,~=§%¤### §§ §§ ###¤%§=~,.
.......~§¤ = 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. ####¤%§=~,
....,==%## ##%==,....
.,~=§%¤### ###¤%§=~,.
.,~=§%¤### ###¤%§=~,.
.,~=§%¤### ###¤%§=~,.
.,~=§%¤### ###¤%§=~,.