¨¨^^^~%%@@ @@%%~^^^¨¨
¨^~\%%&&@# #@&&%%\~^¨
¨^~\%&@@## ##@@&%\~^¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~%@@ @@%~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨^~\%&@@@# #@@@&%\~^¨
¨^~\%&@@## ~~~~~~~~~~~ ##@@&%\~^¨
¨¨^~\\\\%@ %% %% @%\\\\~^¨¨
¨^~\%&@@## \ 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. ##@@&%\~^¨
¨^~\%&@@@# #@@@&%\~^¨
¨^~\%&@@@@ @@@@&%\~^¨
¨¨^~~\&&&@ @&&&\~~^¨¨
¨^^~~~%@@# #@@%~~~^^¨
¨^~\%&@@## ##@@&%\~^¨