....^~=^%&                                          &%^=~^....
...^~=^%&@                                          @&%^=~^...
..^~=^%&@#                                          #@&%^=~^..
.^~=^%&@##                                          ##@&%^=~^.
..^~=^%&@#                                          #@&%^=~^..
...^~=^%&@                ~~~~~~~~~~~               @&%^=~^...
....^~=^%&             ^^           ^^              &%^=~^....
.....^~=^%             =   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.           %^=~^.....
......^~=^                                          ^=~^......
.......^~=                                          =~^.......
........^~                                          ~^........
.........^                                          ^.........
........^~                                          ~^........