##,#,##,#,                                          ,,#,,##,,#
,####,####                                          ,##,#,#,#,
#,,,##,,,#                                          #,#######,
#,,#,#,,##                                          ##,,,,,,##
#,####,#,,                                          ,#,,,,,#,,
##,,,###,#                -----------               ##,,,,##,#
,#,,#,,###              %%           %%             ,#,,,#,##,
##,##,#,,#             †   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.           ,#,,,,,,,,
########,#                                          ##,,,,,,,#
,,,,,,,##,                                          ,#,,,,,,#,
,,,,,,#,#,                                          ##,,,,,##,
,,,,,#####                                          ,#,,,,#,#,
,,,,#,,,,#                                          ##,,,####,