#%%«......                                          ......«%%#
@@@#*%†«~.                                          .~«†%*#@@@
##@#*%†«~.                                          .~«†%*#@##
@*%†«.....                                          .....«†%*@
###@#*†«~.                                          .~«†*#@###
#*†««~....                «««««««««««               ....~««†*#
##@#*%†«~.             %%           %%              .~«†%*#@##
#**%%%†«~.             †   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.           .....~†%##
#@@#*%†«~.                                          .~«†%*#@@#
#%†«......                                          ......«†%#
###@#*†«~.                                          .~«†*#@###
@@*††««~..                                          ..~««††*@@
##*%%%†«~.                                          .~«†%%%*##