,,,,,,,~†£                                          £†~,,,,,,,
,,,~~†§££@                                          @££§†~~,,,
,,,--~~†££                                          ££†~~--,,,
,-~=†§£@##                                          ##@£§†=~-,
,-~=†§£@##                                          ##@£§†=~-,
,-~=†§£@##               ~~~~~~~~~~~                ##@£§†=~-,
,,,,~†§££@             ††           ††              @££§†~,,,,
,-~~~~=†£@            =   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.           ###@£§=~-,
,-~=†£@###                                          ###@£†=~-,
,-~=†§£@##                                          ##@£§†=~-,
,-~=†§£@##                                          ##@£§†=~-,
,-~=†£@###                                          ###@£†=~-,
,-~=†§£@##                                          ##@£§†=~-,