¨¨¨¨«/†#@@                                          @@#†/«¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,//$$@                                          @$$//,¨¨¨¨
¨,«/†$#@##                                          ##@#$†/«,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨«/$@                                          @$/«¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,/$#                                          #$/,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«†#                «««««««««««               #†«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,«/†$#@##              ††           ††             ##@#$†/«,¨
¨¨¨¨,,«†#@             /   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   #†/,,¨¨¨¨¨
¨,«/†$#@## TRICKED INTO LANDING OR DIVING INTO IT.  ##@#$†/«,¨
¨¨¨¨,«/$##    THEY ARE QUICKLY PARALYZED BY THE     ##$/«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨«/$$#@     POISON ON THE PURPLE HAIRS, AND      @#$$/«¨¨¨¨
¨,«/†$#@##     DEVOURED OVER A PERIOD OF HOURS.     ##@#$†/«,¨
¨,«/†$#@##                                          ##@#$†/«,¨
¨,«/†$#@##    PROCREATION CAN HAPPEN SEXUALLY VIA   ##@#$†/«,¨
¨,«/†$#@##  SPORES (CRYPTOGAMIA) OR ASEXUALLY WHEN  ##@#$†/«,¨
¨,«/†$#@##      THE ROOTS ARE CUT, DIVIDING AN      ##@#$†/«,¨
¨¨¨¨¨«††$@           INDIVIDUAL INTO TWO.           @$††«¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨««†$##@                                          @##$†««¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,//$#                                          #$//,¨¨¨¨¨
¨,«/†$#@##                                          ##@#$†/«,¨
¨¨,«««//†#                                          #†//«««,¨¨
¨,«/†$####                                          ####$†/«,¨