.--;%$#£@#                                          #@£#$%;--.
......-%%#                                          #%%-......
.......-%#                                          #%-.......
...--;$#£@                                          @£#$;--...
.....-;%$#                                          #$%;-.....
.--;%%$$#@               -----------                @#$$%%;--.
...--;%$££              %%           %%             ££$%;--...
.....-;%##            ;   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.           #%;;-.....
....---%$£                                          £$%---....
...---;;%#                                          #%;;---...
.----%%##£                                          £##%%----.
.....--%##                                          ##%--.....
.--;%$#£@#                                          #@£#$%;--.