££***††«~,                                          ,~«††***££
##@£@*†«~,                                          ,~«†*@£@##
##@£@*†«~,                                          ,~«†*@£@##
##@£@*†«~,                                          ,~«†*@£@##
##@£@*†«~,                                          ,~«†*@£@##
###@£@*†~,                «««««««««««               ,~†*@£@###
£@*†~~,,,,              **           **             ,,,,~~†*@£
@@£*««~~~,            †   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.           ,~«†*@£@##
£**†«~,,,,                                          ,,,,~«†**£
#££@*††«~,                                          ,~«††*@££#
@@@£@*†«~,                                          ,~«†*@£@@@
##@£@*†«~,                                          ,~«†*@£@##
##@£@*†«~,                                          ,~«†*@£@##