,#,,,,,###                                          ##,##,,,##
##,,,,#,,#                                          ,##,#,,#,#
,#,,,##,##                                          #,###,###,
##,,#,##,,                                          ##,,##,,#,
,#,###,#,,                                          ,#,#,#,###
###,,###,,               »»»»»»»»»»»                #######,,#
,,#,#,,#,,              §§           §§             ,,,,,,#,#,
,####,##,#            †   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.           ,##,#,,,,,
,,,,###,,#                                          #,###,,,,,
,,,#,,#,##                                          ##,,#,,,,,
,,##,###,#                                          ,#,##,,,,,
,#,##,,##,                                          ###,#,,,,,
###,#,#,##                                          ,,###,,,,,