,,,,~-†*£#                                          #£*†-~,,,,
,,,,,~-†*£                                          £*†-~,,,,,
,,,,,,~-†*                                          *†-~,,,,,,
,,,,,~-†*£                                          £*†-~,,,,,
,,,,~-†*£#                                          #£*†-~,,,,
,,,~-†*£##               -----------                ##£*†-~,,,
,,~-†*£###             **           **              ###£*†-~,,
,~-†*£####            †   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.           ##£*†-~,,,
,,~-†*£###                                          ###£*†-~,,
,~-†*£####                                          ####£*†-~,
,,~-†*£###                                          ###£*†-~,,
,,,~-†*£##                                          ##£*†-~,,,
,,,,~-†*£#                                          #£*†-~,,,,