,,-^§£#@@#                                          #@@#£§^-,,
,,,,,-§££@                                          @££§-,,,,,
,,-^§£#@@#                                          #@@#£§^-,,
,,-^§£#@##                                          ##@#£§^-,,
,,-^§£#@@#                                          #@@#£§^-,,
,,-^^§£##@               -----------                @##£§^^-,,
,,,,,^§£@@             §§           §§              @@£§^,,,,,
,,-^£#@@##             ^   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.           @@@#£§^-,,
,-^§£#@@##                                          ##@@#£§^-,
,,,,^§£££@                                          @£££§^,,,,
,,-^§£#@@@                                          @@@#£§^-,,
,,-^§£@@##                                          ##@@£§^-,,
,,,,,^§§£#                                          #£§§^,,,,,