....~†=¤££                                          ££¤=†~....
.....~~†§£                                          £§†~~.....
.,~†=§¤£##                                          ##£¤§=†~,.
.,~†=§¤£##                                          ##£¤§=†~,.
.,~†=¤£###                                          ###£¤=†~,.
.....~~=¤¤                ~~~~~~~~~~~               ¤¤=~~.....
.,~†=§¤£##             ==           ==              ##£¤§=†~,.
.,~†=§¤£##            †   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.           ##£¤§=†~,.
...~~~††§£                                          £§††~~~...
.,~†=§£###                                          ###£§=†~,.
.....~†§£#                                          #£§†~.....
...,~==§¤¤                                          ¤¤§==~,...
.,~†==§§££                                          ££§§==†~,.