....^«:=¤@                                          @¤=:«^....
.....^«:=¤                                          ¤=:«^.....
......^«:=                                          =:«^......
.......^«:                                          :«^.......
........^«                                          «^........
.........^               «««««««««««                ^.........
..........             ==           ==              ..........
.........^             :   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.           ¤=:«^.....
......^«:=                                          =:«^......
.......^«:                                          :«^.......
........^«                                          «^........
.........^                                          ^.........
..........                                          ..........