##@§£*^~:.                                          .:~^*£§@##
§£££**^~:.                                          .:~^**£££§
###@§£*~:.                                          .:~*£§@###
##@§£*^~:.                                          .:~^*£§@##
#@£*^~:...                                          ...:~^*£@#
@@@§£*^~:.                ~~~~~~~~~~~               .:~^*£§@@@
@@@§£*^~:.              **           **             .:~^*£§@@@
§£^~::....            ^   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.           .....:^*§§
#@@§£*^~:.                                          .:~^*£§@@#
§**~~:....                                          ....:~~**§
§£*~......                                          ......~*£§
##@§£*^~:.                                          .:~^*£§@##
§**^~:....                                          ....:~^**§