##£@$%^~:¨                                          ¨:~^%$@£##
###@$%^~:¨                                          ¨:~^%$@###
##£@$%^~:¨                                          ¨:~^%$@£##
@%%^:::¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨:::^%%@
#£$$^^:::¨                                          ¨:::^^$$£#
££$$^:::¨¨               ~~~~~~~~~~~                ¨¨:::^$$££
#£@%~:¨¨¨¨              %%           %%             ¨¨¨¨:~%@£#
£££@$%^~:¨            ^   BLUE FIRE   ^             ¨:~^%$@£££
###£@$%^:¨              %%           %%             ¨:^%$@£###
£$%^~::¨¨¨                ~~~~~~~~~~~               ¨¨¨::~^%$£
##£@$%^~:¨                                          ¨:~^%$@£##
##£@$%^~:¨  THE ¨BLUE FIRE¨ IS A CARNIVOROUS PLANT  ¨:~^%$@£##
@$$^~~¨¨¨¨ LIVING MOSTLY AT THE WESTERN ALVAR (BUT  ¨¨¨¨~~^$$@
##£@$%^~:¨   IT HAS SPREAD TO A FEW OTHER PLACES,   ¨:~^%$@£##
##£@$%^~:¨          MOSTLY ROCKY COASTS).           ¨:~^%$@£##
###@$%^~:¨                                          ¨:~^%$@###
###£$%^~:¨      THE PLANT IS A DENSE NETWORK OF     ¨:~^%$£###
£@%~~:¨¨¨¨  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.     ¨¨:::^^%%@
##£@$%^~:¨                                          ¨:~^%$@£##
###£$%^~:¨   PROCREATION CAN HAPPEN SEXUALLY VIA    ¨:~^%$£###
£$^::¨¨¨¨¨  SPORES (CRYPTOGAMIA) OR ASEXUALLY WHEN  ¨¨¨¨¨::^$£
£$$^:¨¨¨¨¨      THE ROOTS ARE CUT, DIVIDING AN      ¨¨¨¨¨:^$$£
##£@$%^~:¨           INDIVIDUAL INTO TWO.           ¨:~^%$@£##
###£$%^~:¨                                          ¨:~^%$£###
#@%%%%^~:¨                                          ¨:~^%%%%@#
##£@$%^~:¨                                          ¨:~^%$@£##
###£$%^~:¨                                          ¨:~^%$£###
@@%~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~%@@