#¤§§††..¨¨ ¨¨..††§§¤#
###¤*§†=.¨ ¨.=†§*¤###
#¤¤§§§†=.¨ ¨.=†§§§¤¤#
##**§††=.¨ ¨.=††§**##
###¤*§†=.¨ ¨.=†§*¤###
##¤§=¨¨¨¨¨ =========== ¨¨¨¨¨=§¤##
###¤*§†=.¨ §§ §§ ¨.=†§*¤###
##¤¤*§†=.¨ † 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. ¨.=†§*¤###
¤¤*†==.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.==†*¤¤
###¤*§†=.¨ ¨.=†§*¤###
¤§=.¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨.=§¤
#¤¤§§§†=.¨ ¨.=†§§§¤¤#
####¤*†=.¨ ¨.=†*¤####