@£§§£%/-^¨                                          ¨^-/%£§§£@
#@£§£%/-^¨                                          ¨^-/%£§£@#
£££§£%/-^¨                                          ¨^-/%£§£££
#@£§£%/-^¨                                          ¨^-/%£§£@#
#@£§£%/-^¨                                          ¨^-/%£§£@#
§%%//^¨¨¨¨               -----------                ¨¨¨¨^//%%§
#@£§£%/-^¨              %%           %%             ¨^-/%£§£@#
§§%-^¨¨¨¨¨            /   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.           ¨^-/%£§££@
£££///--^¨                                          ¨^--///£££
§££/^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^/££§
##£§£%/-^¨                                          ¨^-/%£§£##
§%%%/^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^/%%%§
##@£§£/-^¨                                          ¨^-/£§£@##