....,~:†%¤                                          ¤%†:~,....
.....,~:†%                                          %†:~,.....
......,~:†                                          †:~,......
.......,~:                                          :~,.......
........,~                                          ~,........
.........,                ~~~~~~~~~~~               ,.........
........,~              ††           ††             ~,........
.......,~:            :   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.           :~,.......
......,~:†                                          †:~,......
.....,~:†%                                          %†:~,.....
....,~:†%¤                                          ¤%†:~,....
...,~:†%¤@                                          @¤%†:~,...
..,~:†%¤@#                                          #@¤%†:~,..