#$$$^^~,,, ,,,~^^$$$#
###§$*^~,, ,,~^*$§###
§$$*^~,,,, ,,,,~^*$$§
###§$*^~,, ,,~^*$§###
###§$*^~,, ,,~^*$§###
###§$*^~,, ~~~~~~~~~~~ ,,~^*$§###
§*^,,,,,,, ** ** ,,,,,,,^*§
###§$*^~,, ^ BLUE FIRE ^ ,,~^*$§###
##$***^~,, ** ** ,,~^***$##
####§$*~,, ~~~~~~~~~~~ ,,~*$§####
###§$*^~,, ,,~^*$§###
§$^^~,,,,, THE ,BLUE FIRE, IS A CARNIVOROUS PLANT ,,,,,~^^$§
#$^^^,,,,, LIVING MOSTLY AT THE WESTERN ALVAR (BUT ,,,,,^^^$#
###§$*^~,, IT HAS SPREAD TO A FEW OTHER PLACES, ,,~^*$§###
§*~,,,,,,, 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. ,,~^*§####
###§$*^~,, ,,~^*$§###
#$^^~,,,,, ,,,,,~^^$#
###§$*^~,, ,,~^*$§###
####§$^~,, ,,~^$§####
#$*^^^^~,, ,,~^^^^*$#