#,,##,####                                          #,,,#,,,##
,#,#,##,,,                                          ##,,##,,#,
,#####,#,,                                          #,#,#,#,##
##,,,,###,                                          #########,
#,#,,,#,,#                                          #,,,,,,,,#
,###,,##,#               ~~~~~~~~~~~                ,#,,,,,,,#
##,,#,#,##             %%           %%              ###,,,,,,#
,,#,#####,            \   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.           ##,#,,,#,#
#,,##,#,#,                                          ,,###,,###
,#,#,#####                                          #,#,,#,#,,
,#####,,,,                                          ####,####,
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