,,,^-†%*¤¶                                          ¶¤*%†-^,,,
,,^-†%*¤¶#                                          #¶¤*%†-^,,
,^-†%*¤¶##                                          ##¶¤*%†-^,
,,^-†%*¤¶#                                          #¶¤*%†-^,,
,,,^-†%*¤¶                                          ¶¤*%†-^,,,
,,,,^-†%*¤                -----------               ¤*%†-^,,,,
,,,^-†%*¤¶              %%           %%             ¶¤*%†-^,,,
,,^-†%*¤¶#             †   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.           #¶¤*%†-^,,
,^-†%*¤¶##                                          ##¶¤*%†-^,
,,^-†%*¤¶#                                          #¶¤*%†-^,,
,,,^-†%*¤¶                                          ¶¤*%†-^,,,
,,,,^-†%*¤                                          ¤*%†-^,,,,
,,,^-†%*¤¶                                          ¶¤*%†-^,,,