....--†^@§                                          §@^†--....
.-«†^@§###                                          ###§@^†«-.
.....«†@@§                                          §@@†«.....
.-«†^@§###                                          ###§@^†«-.
....-«^^@§                                          §@^^«-....
.-«†^@§###               «««««««««««                ###§@^†«-.
....««^@##              ^^           ^^             ##@^««....
.-«†^@§###            †   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.           ###§@^†«-.
.-«†^@§###                                          ###§@^†«-.
.-«†^@@§##                                          ##§@@^†«-.
.-«†^@####                                          ####@^†«-.
.-«†^@§§##                                          ##§§@^†«-.
.-«†^@§###                                          ###§@^†«-.