¨¨§¨¨§¨¨§¨                                          §¨§¨§¨¨§§§
¨§§¨§§¨§§¨                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§§
¨¨§¨¨§¨¨§¨                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨¨§
¨§§¨§§¨§§¨                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§§
¨¨§¨¨§¨¨§¨                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨¨§
¨§§¨§§¨§§¨               ~~~~~~~~~~~                §¨§¨§¨§¨§§
¨¨§¨¨§¨¨§¨              %%           %%             §¨§¨§¨§¨¨§
¨§§¨§§¨§§¨            ;   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.           §¨§¨§¨§¨§§
¨¨§¨¨§¨¨§¨                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨¨§
¨§§¨§§¨§§¨                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§§
¨¨§¨¨§¨¨§¨                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨¨§
¨§§¨§§¨§§¨                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§§
¨¨§¨¨§¨¨§¨                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨¨§