,#,,,##,,#                                          #,#,,##,,#
##,,#,#,##                                          ###,#,#,##
,#,#####,,                                          ,,######,,
###,,,,#,#                                          ,#,,,,,#,,
,,#,,,###,                                          ##,,,,##,#
,##,,#,,##                «««««««««««               ,#,,,#,###
#,#,##,#,,             $$           $$              ##,,###,,#
####,###,#            *   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.           ##,,#,,,,,
#,,###,###                                          ,#,##,,,,#
#,#,,##,,#                                          ###,#,,,#,
###,#,#,##                                          ,,###,,###
,,######,#                                          ,#,,#,#,,,
,#,,,,,###                                          ##,####,,,