,###,,,#,#                                          ##,#,,,#,#
#,,#,,###,                                          ,###,,####
#,##,#,,#,                                          #,,#,#,,,,
##,###,##,                                          #,####,,,#
,##,,##,##                                          ##,,,#,,#,
#,#,#,##,,                ~~~~~~~~~~~               ,#,,##,##,
######,#,,              **           **             ##,#,##,##
,,,,,###,,             ^   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.           ,#,##,,,,,
####,,,#,#                                          ###,#,,,,#
,,,#,,####                                          ,,###,,,#,
,,##,#,,,#                                          ,#,,#,,##,
,#,###,,##                                          ##,##,#,#,
###,,#,#,,                                          ,##,#####,