,~-†*$§##@                                          @##§$*†-~,
,~----**§§                                          §§**----~,
,~-†*$§#@#                                          #@#§$*†-~,
,~--††$§#@                                          @#§$††--~,
,~-†*$§#@@                                          @@#§$*†-~,
,~-†*$§#@#                -----------               #@#§$*†-~,
,,~~-†*§§#             **           **              #§§*†-~~,,
,~-†*$§#@#            †   BLUE FIRE   †             #@#§$*†-~,
,~-†*$§###              **           **             ###§$*†-~,
,,,,,,-†$§                -----------               §$†-,,,,,,
,~-†*$§#@#                                          #@#§$*†-~,
,~-†*$§§§§  THE ,BLUE FIRE, IS A CARNIVOROUS PLANT  §§§§$*†-~,
,,,,,,~†$# LIVING MOSTLY AT THE WESTERN ALVAR (BUT  #$†~,,,,,,
,,,----*§§   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.           #§*---~,,,
,~-†*§#@##                                          ##@#§*†-~,
,~-†*$§#@@                                          @@#§$*†-~,
,~-†*$§#@@                                          @@#§$*†-~,
,~-†*$§#@#                                          #@#§$*†-~,
,,,,,,~†$#                                          #$†~,,,,,,