,,..**†££¶                                          ¶££†**..,,
,,,,»††$¶¶                                          ¶¶$††»,,,,
,.»*†$£¶##                                          ##¶£$†*».,
,.»*†$£££¶                                          ¶£££$†*».,
,,,....*†£                                          £†*....,,,
,.»*†$£¶¶#               »»»»»»»»»»»                #¶¶£$†*».,
,,,..**$££             ††           ††              ££$**..,,,
,,,.»»†$£¶             *   BLUE FIRE   *            ¶£$†»».,,,
,,,,..**$¶              ††           ††             ¶$**..,,,,
,.....*$££                »»»»»»»»»»»               ££$*.....,
,.»*†$£¶##                                          ##¶£$†*».,
,.»†$£¶###  THE ,BLUE FIRE, IS A CARNIVOROUS PLANT  ###¶£$†».,
,.»*†$£¶##  LIVING MOSTLY AT THE WESTERN ALVAR (BUT ##¶£$†*».,
,,,,,..»†£   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      £££††*»,,,
,.»*†$£¶¶#           INDIVIDUAL INTO TWO.           #¶¶£$†*».,
,.»*†$£¶##                                          ##¶£$†*».,
,.»*†$£¶##                                          ##¶£$†*».,
,.»*†$£¶##                                          ##¶£$†*».,
,.»**††£££                                          £££††**».,
,.»†$£¶###                                          ###¶£$†».,