,##,#,####                                          ,##,,####,
#,####,,,,                                          #,#,#,,,#,
##,,,#,,,#                                          #####,,###
,#,,##,,##                                          ,,,,#,#,,,
##,#,#,#,,                                          ,,,####,,,
,#######,,                ===========               ,,#,,,#,,#
#,,,,,,#,,             §§           §§              ,##,,##,##
#,,,,,##,#             /   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.           ##,,###,,#
#,#,##,#,#                                          ,#,#,,#,#,
####,####,                                          ####,#####
,,,##,,,##                                          ,,,##,,,,,
,,#,#,,#,#                                          ,,#,#,,,,,
,####,####                                          ,####,,,,,