###§£†=~^.                                          .^~=†£§###
##§£†=~^..                                          ..^~=†£§##
#§£†=~^...                                          ...^~=†£§#
§£†=~^....                                          ....^~=†£§
#§£†=~^...                                          ...^~=†£§#
##§£†=~^..               ~~~~~~~~~~~                ..^~=†£§##
###§£†=~^.              ††           ††             .^~=†£§###
##§£†=~^..            =   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.           ..^~=†£§##
#§£†=~^...                                          ...^~=†£§#
§£†=~^....                                          ....^~=†£§
#§£†=~^...                                          ...^~=†£§#
##§£†=~^..                                          ..^~=†£§##
###§£†=~^.                                          .^~=†£§###