.~«*§%@###                                          ###@%§*«~.
...~~«§%£#                                          #£%§«~~...
.~«*§%£@##                                          ##@£%§*«~.
...««*§%££                                          ££%§*««...
.~«*§%£@##                                          ##@£%§*«~.
.~«*§%£@@#                «««««««««««               #@@£%§*«~.
....~«*%£@             §§           §§              @£%*«~....
......~*§£            *   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.           ##@£%§*«~.
.~«*§%£@##                                          ##@£%§*«~.
....««§%@#                                          #@%§««....
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.~«*§§%%%@                                          @%%%§§*«~.
..~~«**%££                                          ££%**«~~..