#&&&†~,,,, ,,,,~†&&&#
###@&§†~,, ,,~†§&@###
#@§††,,,,, ,,,,,††§@#
###@&§†~,, ,,~†§&@###
###@&§†~,, ,,~†§&@###
#&&&§§†~,, ~~~~~~~~~~~ ,,~†§§&&&#
###@&§†~,, §§ §§ ,,~†§&@###
@&†~~,,,,, † 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. ,,,,,~††&#
###@&§†~,, ,,~†§&@###
#@§†††~,,, ,,,~†††§@#
#&†,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,†&#
#&††~,,,,, ,,,,,~††&#
###@&§†~,, ,,~†§&@###