.......@.. .@@....@..
........@. .@@@....@.
.........@ .@.@@....@
@......... ...@@@....
.@........ ...@.@@...
..@....... ----------- .....@@@..
...@...... ** ** .....@.@@.
....@..... / 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. @.........
...@.@@... .@........
.....@@@.. ..@.......
.....@.@@. ...@......
.......@@@ ....@.....
.......@.@ @....@....