,^==%£§@## ##@§£%==^,
,,^^==%£§§ §§£%==^^,,
,,,,^^=%%§ §%%=^^,,,,
,,,,,==%§@ @§%==,,,,,
,^===%££@@ @@££%===^,
,^==%£§@## =========== ##@§£%==^,
,^==%£§@## %% %% ##@§£%==^,
,^=%£§@### = 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. ##@§£%==^,
,^==%£§@## ##@§£%==^,
,^==%%£££§ §£££%%==^,
,,,,^==££§ §££==^,,,,
,,,,,==£§§ §§£==,,,,,
,,,,,=%£§§ §§£%=,,,,,