¨~«^$$&### ###&$$^«~¨
¨~«^$$&### ###&$$^«~¨
¨¨¨¨¨~«$$& &$$«~¨¨¨¨¨
¨~«^$$&### ###&$$^«~¨
¨~«^$$$&&# #&&$$$^«~¨
¨~«^$$&### ««««««««««« ###&$$^«~¨
¨¨~««««$&& $$ $$ &&$««««~¨¨
¨~«^$$&### ^ BLUE FIRE ^ ###&$$^«~¨
¨¨¨¨~«««$& $$ $$ &$«««~¨¨¨¨
¨~«^$$&### ««««««««««« ###&$$^«~¨
¨~«^$$&### ###&$$^«~¨
¨~«^$$&### THE ¨BLUE FIRE¨ IS A CARNIVOROUS PLANT ###&$$^«~¨
¨¨¨¨~^$&&& LIVING MOSTLY AT THE WESTERN ALVAR (BUT &&&$^~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~«^$&& IT HAS SPREAD TO A FEW OTHER PLACES, &&$^«~¨¨¨¨
¨~«^$$$$## MOSTLY ROCKY COASTS). ##$$$$^«~¨
¨¨~~««$$## ##$$««~~¨¨
¨~«^$$&### 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. ###&$$^«~¨
¨~«^$$&### ###&$$^«~¨
¨~«^$$&&&# #&&&$$^«~¨
¨¨¨¨~^$&## ##&$^~¨¨¨¨
¨~«^$$&### ###&$$^«~¨
¨~«^$$&### ###&$$^«~¨