,£,£,,£,,,                                          ,£,£,££,£,
,,,,£,,£,,                                          ,,,,,££,,£
£,,,,£,,£,                                          £,,,,£££,,
,£,,,,£,,£                                          ,£,,,£,££,
,,£,,,,£,,                                          ,,£,,,,£££
£,,£,,,,£,               ===========                ,,,£,,,£,£
££,,£,,,,£             %%           %%              £,,,£,,,,£
,££,,£,,,,             \   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.           ,£,,,,£,,£
£,,,,,£,,£                                          ,,£,,,,£,,
,£,,,,,£,,                                          £,,£,,,,£,
,,£,,,,,£,                                          ££,,£,,,,£
£,,£,,,,,£                                          ,££,,£,,,,
,£,,£,,,,,                                          ,£££,,£,,,