....,\=§§@ @§§=\,....
.,~\=£§@@@ @@@§£=\~,.
.,~\=£§@@# #@@§£=\~,.
.,~\=£§@@@ @@@§£=\~,.
.,~\=£§@@@ @@@§£=\~,.
.,~\=£§§§@ ~~~~~~~~~~~ @§§§£=\~,.
.,~\=£§@@# == == #@@§£=\~,.
....~~==§@ \ 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. §§==~,....
.,~\=£§@## ##@§£=\~,.
....~==£@@ @@£==~....
.,~\=£§@@# #@@§£=\~,.
.....,\=§@ @§=\,.....
.,~\=£§@@# #@@§£=\~,.