,,-†*£##@# #@##£*†-,,
,,,,,-†£## ##£†-,,,,,
,,-†*£##@# #@##£*†-,,
,,,,,†*### ###*†,,,,,
,,-†*£££## ##£££*†-,,
,,,--†††*# ----------- #*†††--,,,
,,,,,,†*## ** ** ##*†,,,,,,
,,-†*£#### † 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. ####£*†-,,
,,-†*£##@@ @@##£*†-,,
,,-†*£##@# #@##£*†-,,
,,,,,,†*## ##*†,,,,,,
,,,,,,,†£# #£†,,,,,,,
,,-†*£##@# #@##£*†-,,