§§¨¨§§§§¨¨                                          §¨§§¨¨¨§§§
¨¨§¨§¨¨¨§¨                                          §§§¨§¨¨§¨¨
¨¨§§§§¨¨§§                                          §¨¨§§§¨§§¨
¨¨§¨¨¨§¨§¨                                          ¨§¨§¨¨§§¨§
§¨§§¨¨§§§§                                          §§§§§¨§¨§§
¨§§¨§¨§¨¨¨                ~~~~~~~~~~~               §¨¨¨¨§§§§¨
¨§¨§§§§§¨¨              ==           ==             ¨§¨¨¨§¨¨¨§
§§§§¨¨¨¨§¨            /   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.           §§¨§§¨¨¨§§
§§§¨§§§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§§¨§¨¨§¨
§¨¨§§¨¨§¨¨                                          §¨§¨§§§¨§§
¨§¨§¨§¨§§¨                                          ¨§§§§¨¨§§¨
¨§§§§§§§¨§                                          §§¨¨¨§¨§¨§
§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§§                                          §¨§¨¨§§§§§