,,,,,;§$@#                                          #@$§;,,,,,
,,,,,~~§§£                                          £§§~~,,,,,
,,,,;;§§££                                          ££§§;;,,,,
,,~;§$£@@#                                          #@@£$§;~,,
,,~;§$£££@                                          @£££$§;~,,
,,~;§$£@##               ~~~~~~~~~~~                ##@£$§;~,,
,,~;§$£@##              §§           §§             ##@£$§;~,,
,,,,,~;§§£            ;   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      #£§§;~~,,,
,,~;§$@###     DEVOURED OVER A PERIOD OF HOURS.     ###@$§;~,,
,,,,;;§$@@                                          @@$§;;,,,,
,,,,,~;§$@    PROCREATION CAN HAPPEN SEXUALLY VIA   @$§;~,,,,,
,,~;§$£@##  SPORES (CRYPTOGAMIA) OR ASEXUALLY WHEN  ##@£$§;~,,
,,,,~;$$£#      THE ROOTS ARE CUT, DIVIDING AN      #£$$;~,,,,
,,~;§$£@##           INDIVIDUAL INTO TWO.           ##@£$§;~,,
,,,,,~§££@                                          @££§~,,,,,
,,~;§$£@@@                                          @@@£$§;~,,
,,,,,;§§£#                                          #£§§;,,,,,
,,,,;;$$@#                                          #@$$;;,,,,
,,,,,,,~§£                                          £§~,,,,,,,