......~«\%                                          %\«~......
.....~«\%§                                          §%\«~.....
....~«\%§#                                          #§%\«~....
...~«\%§##                                          ##§%\«~...
..~«\%§###                                          ###§%\«~..
.~«\%§####                «««««««««««               ####§%\«~.
..~«\%§###             %%           %%              ###§%\«~..
...~«\%§##            \   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.           ##§%\«~...
....~«\%§#                                          #§%\«~....
.....~«\%§                                          §%\«~.....
......~«\%                                          %\«~......
.......~«\                                          \«~.......
........~«                                          «~........