##¶£*†=-^. .^-=†*£¶##
#¶£*†=-^.. ..^-=†*£¶#
¶£*†=-^... ...^-=†*£¶
£*†=-^.... ....^-=†*£
*†=-^..... .....^-=†*
†=-^...... ----------- ......^-=†
*†=-^..... †† †† .....^-=†*
£*†=-^.... = 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. ......^-=†
*†=-^..... .....^-=†*
£*†=-^.... ....^-=†*£
¶£*†=-^... ...^-=†*£¶
#¶£*†=-^.. ..^-=†*£¶#
##¶£*†=-^. .^-=†*£¶##