.:=†*$$§§¶                                          ¶§§$$*†=:.
....:†$$§¶                                          ¶§$$†:....
....:††$¶#                                          #¶$††:....
.:=†*$§¶##                                          ##¶§$*†=:.
.:=†*§¶###                                          ###¶§*†=:.
.:=†*$§¶##                ===========               ##¶§$*†=:.
.....:†$§#             **           **              #§$†:.....
...:††*§§¶             †   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  §*††:.....
.:=†*$§¶##      THE ROOTS ARE CUT, DIVIDING AN      ##¶§$*†=:.
.:=†*$§¶##           INDIVIDUAL INTO TWO.           ##¶§$*†=:.
.:=†*$§¶##                                          ##¶§$*†=:.
.:=†*$§¶##                                          ##¶§$*†=:.
.:=†*$§¶##                                          ##¶§$*†=:.
...===***§                                          §***===...
.:=†*$§¶##                                          ##¶§$*†=:.