¶&*†~-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-~†*&¶
#¶&*†~-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-~†*&¶#
##¶&*†~-¨¨ ¨¨-~†*&¶##
###¶&*†~-¨ ¨-~†*&¶###
##¶&*†~-¨¨ ¨¨-~†*&¶##
#¶&*†~-¨¨¨ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ¨¨¨-~†*&¶#
¶&*†~-¨¨¨¨ ** ** ¨¨¨¨-~†*&¶
&*†~-¨¨¨¨¨ † 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. ¨¨¨¨¨-~†*&
*†~-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-~†*
†~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~†
~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~