@$$$^~-¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨-~^$$$@
##%%%%^~-¨                                          ¨-~^%%%%##
##@#$%^~-¨                                          ¨-~^%$#@##
##$^--¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨--^$##
##$%~-¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨-~%$##
##@#$%^~-¨               ~~~~~~~~~~~                ¨-~^%$#@##
#@$%%%^~-¨             %%           %%              ¨-~^%%%$@#
##@#$%^~-¨             ^   BLUE FIRE   ^            ¨-~^%$#@##
#@#%%^~~-¨              %%           %%             ¨-~~^%%#@#
##@#$%^~-¨                ~~~~~~~~~~~               ¨-~^%$#@##
##%%^--¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨--^%%##
##@#$%^~-¨  THE ¨BLUE FIRE¨ IS A CARNIVOROUS PLANT  ¨-~^%$#@##
###@#$%~-¨ LIVING MOSTLY AT THE WESTERN ALVAR (BUT  ¨-~%$#@###
##@#$%^~-¨   IT HAS SPREAD TO A FEW OTHER PLACES,   ¨-~^%$#@##
##@#$%^~-¨          MOSTLY ROCKY COASTS).           ¨-~^%$#@##
#$$%~---¨¨                                          ¨¨---~%$$#
@$^--¨¨¨¨¨      THE PLANT IS A DENSE NETWORK OF     ¨¨¨¨¨--^$@
##@#$%^~-¨  GREEN-BROWN TENTACLE-LIKE ROOTS, WHICH  ¨-~^%$#@##
@@@#$%^~-¨   IS OFTEN CALLED "RAT'S TAIL" BEFORE    ¨-~^%$#@@@
##@#$%^~-¨    BLOOMING. IN LATE JUNE, IT QUICKLY    ¨-~^%$#@##
@$%~-¨¨¨¨¨      SPROUTS FEELERS, TEN TO THIRTY      ¨¨¨¨¨-~%$@
##@#$%^~-¨   CENTIMETERS HIGH, FILLED WITH PURPLE   ¨-~^%$#@##
##@#$%^~-¨    HAIRS - THIS IS THE BLUE FIRE. THIS   ¨-~^%$#@##
@@@#$%^~-¨     STAGE LASTS FOR ONE OR TWO WEEKS,    ¨-~^%$#@@@
#%%%%~¨¨¨¨     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      ¨¨¨---~~%#
#@$%%~¨¨¨¨           INDIVIDUAL INTO TWO.           ¨¨¨¨~%%$@#
#$^~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~^$#
###@#$%~-¨                                          ¨-~%$#@###
##$^~-¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨-~^$##
###%~~-¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨-~~%###
##@#$%^~-¨                                          ¨-~^%$#@##