,:«==%§###                                          ###§%==«:,
,:«==%§###                                          ###§%==«:,
,:«==%§###                                          ###§%==«:,
,,,,,:=%§§                                          §§%=:,,,,,
,:«==%§###                                          ###§%==«:,
,:«==%%%##                «««««««««««               ##%%%==«:,
,:«==%§###             ==           ==              ###§%==«:,
,:«==%§###             =   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.           §==««««:,,
,:«==%§###                                          ###§%==«:,
,:«==%§###                                          ###§%==«:,
,,,,,:=%%§                                          §%%=:,,,,,
,:«==%§###                                          ###§%==«:,
,,,:«==§##                                          ##§==«:,,,