,,,~^§@¶@# #@¶@§^~,,,
,,~^§@¶@## ##@¶@§^~,,
,,,~^§@¶@# #@¶@§^~,,,
,,,,~^§@¶@ @¶@§^~,,,,
,,,,,~^§@¶ ¶@§^~,,,,,
,,,,,,~^§@ ~~~~~~~~~~~ @§^~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~^§ ^^ ^^ §^~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~^§@ = 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. @§^~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~^§ §^~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~^§@ @§^~,,,,,,
,,,,,~^§@¶ ¶@§^~,,,,,
,,,,~^§@¶@ @¶@§^~,,,,
,,,~^§@¶@# #@¶@§^~,,,