.....^~†%&                                          &%†~^.....
......^~†%                                          %†~^......
.....^~†%&                                          &%†~^.....
....^~†%&¤                                          ¤&%†~^....
...^~†%&¤¶                                          ¶¤&%†~^...
..^~†%&¤¶#                ~~~~~~~~~~~               #¶¤&%†~^..
.^~†%&¤¶##              %%           %%             ##¶¤&%†~^.
..^~†%&¤¶#             †   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.           #¶¤&%†~^..
.^~†%&¤¶##                                          ##¶¤&%†~^.
..^~†%&¤¶#                                          #¶¤&%†~^..
...^~†%&¤¶                                          ¶¤&%†~^...
....^~†%&¤                                          ¤&%†~^....
.....^~†%&                                          &%†~^.....