.^«/*$&££#                                          #££&$*/«^.
.^«/*$&£##                                          ##£&$*/«^.
....^//$&&                                          &&$//^....
.^«/*$£###                                          ###£$*/«^.
.....««*&&                                          &&*««.....
.^«/*$&£##               «««««««««««                ##£&$*/«^.
.^«/*$&£##             **           **              ##£&$*/«^.
.^^^///$££            /   BLUE FIRE   /             ££$///^^^.
....^««*&#             **           **              #&*««^....
.^«/*$&£##               «««««««««««                ##£&$*/«^.
.^«/*$&£##                                          ##£&$*/«^.
.....^«/$£  THE .BLUE FIRE. IS A CARNIVOROUS PLANT  £$/«^.....
.^«/*$$&&# LIVING MOSTLY AT THE WESTERN ALVAR (BUT  #&&$$*/«^.
.^«//**$&£   IT HAS SPREAD TO A FEW OTHER PLACES,   £&$**//«^.
.^«/*$&£##          MOSTLY ROCKY COASTS).           ##£&$*/«^.
......^/$&                                          &$/^......
.^«/*$$$&£     THE PLANT IS A DENSE NETWORK OF      £&$$$*/«^.
.....^««*&  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  #&**«.....
...^^«//$£      THE ROOTS ARE CUT, DIVIDING AN      £$//«^^...
....«//*$£           INDIVIDUAL INTO TWO.           £$*//«....
.^«/*$&###                                          ###&$*/«^.
......^/$£                                          £$/^......
.......«*&                                          &*«.......
.^«/****&&                                          &&****/«^.
.^^^///**&                                          &**///^^^.