....^«=*## ##*=«^....
.^«=*¤#£@# #@£#¤*=«^.
.^«=*¤#££@ @££#¤*=«^.
.^«=*¤#£@# #@£#¤*=«^.
..^«=*¤#££ ££#¤*=«^..
^«=*¤#£@## ««««««««««« ##@£#¤*=«^
....^==*#@ ** ** @#*==^....
.^«=*¤#£@# = 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. ££¤=^.....
.^«=*¤#£££ £££#¤*=«^.
....^=*### ###*=^....
.^«=*¤#£@# #@£#¤*=«^.
.^«=*¤#£@@ @@£#¤*=«^.
.^«=*¤#£££ £££#¤*=«^.