@§$^^^,,,,                                          ,,,,^^^$§@
#@¶§$*^~^,                                          ,^~^*$§¶@#
@§*~^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^~*§@
¶§$$^~,,,,                                          ,,,,~^$$§¶
#@¶§$*^~^,                                          ,^~^*$§¶@#
§$^^,,,,,,               ~~~~~~~~~~~                ,,,,,,^^$§
##@§$*^~^,              **           **             ,^~^*$§@##
¶$$^^^~^^,             ^   BLUE FIRE   ^            ,^^~^^^$$¶
#@¶§$*^~^,             **           **              ,^~^*$§¶@#
§§$*~~~^,,               ~~~~~~~~~~~                ,,^~~~*$§§
@§§*~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~*§§@
§§$^^,,,,,  THE ,BLUE FIRE, IS A CARNIVOROUS PLANT  ,,,,,^^$§§
¶$^~~,,,,, LIVING MOSTLY AT THE WESTERN ALVAR (BUT  ,,,,,~~^$¶
§*^^^,,,,,   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   ,,,,,,~*§¶
#@¶§$*^~^,    BLOOMING. IN LATE JUNE, IT QUICKLY    ,^~^*$§¶@#
##@¶§$^~^,      SPROUTS FEELERS, TEN TO THIRTY      ,^~^$§¶@##
##@¶§$*~^,   CENTIMETERS HIGH, FILLED WITH PURPLE   ,^~*$§¶@##
#@¶§$*^~^,    HAIRS - THIS IS THE BLUE FIRE. THIS   ,^~^*$§¶@#
¶¶¶§$*^~^,     STAGE LASTS FOR ONE OR TWO WEEKS,    ,^~^*$§¶¶¶
#@¶§$*^~^,     DEPENDING ON FOOD ACCESS, WATER,     ,^~^*$§¶@#
#@¶§$*^~^,                 CLIMATE.                 ,^~^*$§¶@#
#@¶§$*^~^,                                          ,^~^*$§¶@#
#@¶§$*^~^,  OFTEN IT'S NOT CLEAR HOW FAR THE PLANT  ,^~^*$§¶@#
@¶¶§$*^~^,     HAS SPREAD UNLESS ITS IN THE FIRE    ,^~^*$§¶¶@
§$**~^^,,,  STAGE. SUDDENLY, AS IF OVERNIGHT, WHOLE ,,,^^~**$§
#@¶§$*^~^,   FIELDS CAN BE TURNED ABLAZE (WITH THE  ,^~^*$§¶@#
@¶¶§$*^~^,  SAME INDIVIDUAL PLANT, AS WELL)! IN THE ,^~^*$§¶¶@
#@¶§$*^~^, BLOOMING PEAK, IT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR THE  ,^~^*$§¶@#
#@¶§$*^~^, WHOLE ALVAR TO BE CONNECTED NORTH-SOUTH. ,^~^*$§¶@#
§*~^,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,^~*§
¶¶¶§$*^~^,               ^**~~~~~**^                ,^~^*$§¶¶¶
@@¶§$*^~^,                                          ,^~^*$§¶@@
#@¶§$*^~^,  FIFTY WEEKS OF THE YEAR, WHILE IN RAT   ,^~^*$§¶@#
#@¶§$*^~^,  STAGE, THE BLUE FIRE FEEDS ON THE STONE ,^~^*$§¶@#
##@¶§$*^~^   ITSELF VIA A SLOW CHEMICAL ATTRITION.  ^~^*$§¶@##
@¶$^^^,,,, THIS IS ENOUGH TO KEEP THE ROOTS ALIVE,  ,,,,^^^$¶@
¶$$^^^,,,,   BUT ALL GROWTH AND PROCREATION MUST    ,,,,^^^$$¶
##¶§$*^~^,   HAPPEN DURING THE TWO WEEKS IN JUNE.   ,^~^*$§¶##
§§*^^^^,,,                                          ,,,^^^^*§§
§§§§$*^~^,    NOW THE PLANT FEEDS ON BIRDS; THE     ,^~^*$§§§§
#@¶§$*^~^,  SEMISTIFF UPRIGHT FEELERS LOOKS LIKE AN ,^~^*$§¶@#
¶$*~^,,,,,   EXTENSION OF THE SEA, AND BIRDS ARE    ,,,,,^~*$¶
#@¶§$*^~^,  TRICKED INTO LANDING OR DIVING INTO IT. ,^~^*$§¶@#
#@¶§$*^~^,     THEY ARE QUICKLY PARALYZED BY THE    ,^~^*$§¶@#
#@¶§$*^~^,      POISON ON THE PURPLE HAIRS, AND     ,^~^*$§¶@#
#@¶§$*^~^,     DEVOURED OVER A PERIOD OF HOURS.     ,^~^*$§¶@#
#@¶§$*^~^,                                          ,^~^*$§¶@#
##¶§$*^~^,    PROCREATION CAN HAPPEN SEXUALLY VIA   ,^~^*$§¶##
#@¶§$*^~^,  SPORES (CRYPTOGAMIA) OR ASEXUALLY WHEN  ,^~^*$§¶@#
§$*~~~^,,,      THE ROOTS ARE CUT, DIVIDING AN      ,,,^~~~*$§
#@¶§$*^~^,           INDIVIDUAL INTO TWO.           ,^~^*$§¶@#
@§§**^^^^,                                          ,^^^^**§§@
#@¶§$*^~^,                                          ,^~^*$§¶@#
¶¶§§$*^~^,                                          ,^~^*$§§¶¶
§§§$$*^~^,                                          ,^~^*$$§§§
§§§*~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~*§§§