,#,,,,,###                                          ,##,####,#
##,,,,#,,#                                          #,##,,,###
,#,,,##,##                                          ##,#,,#,,,
##,,#,##,,                                          ,###,##,,,
,#,###,#,#                                          #,,##,#,,#
###,,#####                »»»»»»»»»»»               #,#,###,##
,,#,#,,,,,             $$           $$              ####,,##,,
,####,,,,,            ;   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.           #,,##,##,,
######,##,                                          #,#,##,#,#
,,,,,##,##                                          ####,####,
,,,,#,##,#                                          ,,,##,,,#,
,,,###,###                                          ,,#,#,,##,
,,#,,##,,,                                          ,####,#,#,