,.«:£§¶###                                          ###¶§£:«.,
,,.«:£§¶##                                          ##¶§£:«.,,
,,,.«:£§¶#                                          #¶§£:«.,,,
,,.«:£§¶##                                          ##¶§£:«.,,
,.«:£§¶###                                          ###¶§£:«.,
,,.«:£§¶##               «««««««««««                ##¶§£:«.,,
,,,.«:£§¶#             ^^           ^^              #¶§£:«.,,,
,,.«:£§¶##            :   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.           ##¶§£:«.,,
,.«:£§¶###                                          ###¶§£:«.,
,,.«:£§¶##                                          ##¶§£:«.,,
,,,.«:£§¶#                                          #¶§£:«.,,,
,,.«:£§¶##                                          ##¶§£:«.,,
,.«:£§¶###                                          ###¶§£:«.,