,,:-†%§£##                                          ##£§%†-:,,
,,,:-†%§£#                                          #£§%†-:,,,
,,,,:-†%§£                                          £§%†-:,,,,
,,,,,:-†%§                                          §%†-:,,,,,
,,,,,,:-†%                                          %†-:,,,,,,
,,,,,:-†%§                -----------               §%†-:,,,,,
,,,,:-†%§£             %%           %%              £§%†-:,,,,
,,,:-†%§£#             †   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.           §%†-:,,,,,
,,,,:-†%§£                                          £§%†-:,,,,
,,,:-†%§£#                                          #£§%†-:,,,
,,:-†%§£##                                          ##£§%†-:,,
,:-†%§£###                                          ###£§%†-:,
,,:-†%§£##                                          ##£§%†-:,,