,--;†*@¶@#                                          #@¶@*†;--,
,,--;†*@¶@                                          @¶@*†;--,,
,,,--;†*@¶                                          ¶@*†;--,,,
,,,,--;†*@                                          @*†;--,,,,
,,,,,--;†*                                          *†;--,,,,,
,,,,,,--;†                -----------               †;--,,,,,,
,,,,,,,--;             ††           ††              ;--,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,--             ;   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.           ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,-                                          -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,--                                          --,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,--;                                          ;--,,,,,,,