=^,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,^=
^=^,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,^=^
%^=^,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,^=^%
£%^=^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^=^%£
#£%^=^,,,,                                          ,,,,^=^%£#
@#£%^=^,,,                ===========               ,,,^=^%£#@
#@#£%^=^,,              %%           %%             ,,^=^%£#@#
##@#£%^=^,            ^   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.           ,,,,,,,^=^
%^=^,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,^=^%
£%^=^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^=^%£
#£%^=^,,,,                                          ,,,,^=^%£#
@#£%^=^,,,                                          ,,,^=^%£#@
#@#£%^=^,,                                          ,,^=^%£#@#