.....«%§£#                                          #£§%«.....
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...««««%%£                «««««««««««               £%%««««...
.....~/§£#              %%           %%             #£§/~.....
......«/§£             /   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.           #@#£§%/«~.
.~«/%§£#@#                                          #@#£§%/«~.
......«%§£                                          £§%«......
.~«/%§£##@                                          @##£§%/«~.
.~«/§£#@##                                          ##@#£§/«~.
.~«/%§£##@                                          @##£§%/«~.