#,##,,,#,#                                          ###,,##,,,
##,#,,###,                                          ,,#,#,#,,#
,###,#,,#,                                          ,######,#,
#,,###,###                                          #,,,,,###,
#,#,,##,,#                                          #,,,,#,,##
###,#,#,#,                ===========               #,,,##,#,,
,,########             %%           %%              #,,#,###,#
,#,,,,,,,#            ^   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.           #,#,##,##,
,,#,,,,,,#                                          ####,##,#,
,##,,,,,##                                          ,,,##,###,
#,#,,,,#,,                                          ,,#,##,,#,
###,,,##,,                                          ,###,#,###
,,#,,#,#,,                                          #,,####,,,