...~†§%£¶#                                          #¶£%§†~...
....~†§%£¶                                          ¶£%§†~....
.....~†§%£                                          £%§†~.....
......~†§%                                          %§†~......
.......~†§                                          §†~.......
........~†               ~~~~~~~~~~~                †~........
.......~†§             §§           §§              §†~.......
......~†§%            †   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.           %§†~......
.....~†§%£                                          £%§†~.....
....~†§%£¶                                          ¶£%§†~....
...~†§%£¶#                                          #¶£%§†~...
..~†§%£¶##                                          ##¶£%§†~..
...~†§%£¶#                                          #¶£%§†~...