$†-.......                                          .......-†$
§$†-......                                          ......-†$§
&§$†-.....                                          .....-†$§&
#&§$†-....                                          ....-†$§&#
##&§$†-...                                          ...-†$§&##
###&§$†-..               -----------                ..-†$§&###
##&§$†-...              $$           $$             ...-†$§&##
#&§$†-....             †   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. ........-†
$†-.......    THEY ARE QUICKLY PARALYZED BY THE     .......-†$
§$†-......     POISON ON THE PURPLE HAIRS, AND      ......-†$§
&§$†-.....     DEVOURED OVER A PERIOD OF HOURS.     .....-†$§&
#&§$†-....                                          ....-†$§&#
##&§$†-...    PROCREATION CAN HAPPEN SEXUALLY VIA   ...-†$§&##
###&§$†-..  SPORES (CRYPTOGAMIA) OR ASEXUALLY WHEN  ..-†$§&###
##&§$†-...      THE ROOTS ARE CUT, DIVIDING AN      ...-†$§&##
#&§$†-....           INDIVIDUAL INTO TWO.           ....-†$§&#
&§$†-.....                                          .....-†$§&
§$†-......                                          ......-†$§
$†-.......                                          .......-†$
†-........                                          ........-†
$†-.......                                          .......-†$