.-«†^£@¶@@                                          @@¶@£^†«-.
.....-†^£@                                          @£^†-.....
.-«†^£@¶@#                                          #@¶@£^†«-.
....««†^@¶                                          ¶@^†««....
.-«†^£@¶@#                                          #@¶@£^†«-.
.-«†^£@¶@#                «««««««««««               #@¶@£^†«-.
.-«†^£@¶@#              ^^           ^^             #@¶@£^†«-.
.-«†^£@¶@#             †   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.           #@¶@£^†«-.
......«^@@                                          @@^«......
.-«†^£@@@¶                                          ¶@@@£^†«-.
.-«†^£@¶@#                                          #@¶@£^†«-.
.-«†^£@¶@#                                          #@¶@£^†«-.
.....-†^@@                                          @@^†-.....