¨¨¨~~=$£@# #@£$=~~¨¨¨
¨¨~~=$£@## ##@£$=~~¨¨
¨~~=$£@### ###@£$=~~¨
¨¨~~=$£@## ##@£$=~~¨¨
¨¨¨~~=$£@# #@£$=~~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~~=$£@ ~~~~~~~~~~~ @£$=~~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~~=$£ ** ** £$=~~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~~=$£@ = BLUE FIRE = @£$=~~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~~=$£@# ** ** #@£$=~~¨¨¨
¨¨~~=$£@## ~~~~~~~~~~~ ##@£$=~~¨¨
¨~~=$£@### ###@£$=~~¨
¨¨~~=$£@## THE ¨BLUE FIRE¨ IS A CARNIVOROUS PLANT ##@£$=~~¨¨
¨¨¨~~=$£@# LIVING MOSTLY AT THE WESTERN ALVAR (BUT #@£$=~~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~~=$£@ IT HAS SPREAD TO A FEW OTHER PLACES, @£$=~~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~~=$£ MOSTLY ROCKY COASTS). £$=~~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~~=$£@ @£$=~~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~~=$£@# THE PLANT IS A DENSE NETWORK OF #@£$=~~¨¨¨
¨¨~~=$£@## GREEN-BROWN TENTACLE-LIKE ROOTS, WHICH ##@£$=~~¨¨
¨~~=$£@### IS OFTEN CALLED "RAT'S TAIL" BEFORE ###@£$=~~¨
¨¨~~=$£@## BLOOMING. IN LATE JUNE, IT QUICKLY ##@£$=~~¨¨
¨¨¨~~=$£@# SPROUTS FEELERS, TEN TO THIRTY #@£$=~~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~~=$£@ CENTIMETERS HIGH, FILLED WITH PURPLE @£$=~~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~~=$£ HAIRS - THIS IS THE BLUE FIRE. THIS £$=~~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~~=$£@ STAGE LASTS FOR ONE OR TWO WEEKS, @£$=~~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~~=$£@# DEPENDING ON FOOD ACCESS, WATER, #@£$=~~¨¨¨
¨¨~~=$£@## CLIMATE. ##@£$=~~¨¨
¨~~=$£@### ###@£$=~~¨
¨¨~~=$£@## OFTEN IT'S NOT CLEAR HOW FAR THE PLANT ##@£$=~~¨¨
¨¨¨~~=$£@# HAS SPREAD UNLESS ITS IN THE FIRE #@£$=~~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~~=$£@ STAGE. SUDDENLY, AS IF OVERNIGHT, WHOLE @£$=~~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~~=$£ FIELDS CAN BE TURNED ABLAZE (WITH THE £$=~~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~~=$£@ SAME INDIVIDUAL PLANT, AS WELL)! IN THE @£$=~~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~~=$£@# BLOOMING PEAK, IT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR THE #@£$=~~¨¨¨
¨¨~~=$£@## WHOLE ALVAR TO BE CONNECTED NORTH-SOUTH. ##@£$=~~¨¨
¨~~=$£@### ###@£$=~~¨
¨¨~~=$£@## =**~~~~~**= ##@£$=~~¨¨
¨¨¨~~=$£@# #@£$=~~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~~=$£@ FIFTY WEEKS OF THE YEAR, WHILE IN RAT @£$=~~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~~=$£ STAGE, THE BLUE FIRE FEEDS ON THE STONE £$=~~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~~=$£@ ITSELF VIA A SLOW CHEMICAL ATTRITION. @£$=~~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~~=$£@# THIS IS ENOUGH TO KEEP THE ROOTS ALIVE, #@£$=~~¨¨¨
¨¨~~=$£@## BUT ALL GROWTH AND PROCREATION MUST ##@£$=~~¨¨
¨~~=$£@### HAPPEN DURING THE TWO WEEKS IN JUNE. ###@£$=~~¨
¨¨~~=$£@## ##@£$=~~¨¨
¨¨¨~~=$£@# NOW THE PLANT FEEDS ON BIRDS; THE #@£$=~~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~~=$£@ SEMISTIFF UPRIGHT FEELERS LOOKS LIKE AN @£$=~~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~~=$£ EXTENSION OF THE SEA, AND BIRDS ARE £$=~~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~~=$£@ TRICKED INTO LANDING OR DIVING INTO IT. @£$=~~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~~=$£@# THEY ARE QUICKLY PARALYZED BY THE #@£$=~~¨¨¨
¨¨~~=$£@## POISON ON THE PURPLE HAIRS, AND ##@£$=~~¨¨
¨~~=$£@### DEVOURED OVER A PERIOD OF HOURS. ###@£$=~~¨
¨¨~~=$£@## ##@£$=~~¨¨
¨¨¨~~=$£@# PROCREATION CAN HAPPEN SEXUALLY VIA #@£$=~~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~~=$£@ SPORES (CRYPTOGAMIA) OR ASEXUALLY WHEN @£$=~~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~~=$£ THE ROOTS ARE CUT, DIVIDING AN £$=~~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~~=$£@ INDIVIDUAL INTO TWO. @£$=~~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~~=$£@# #@£$=~~¨¨¨
¨¨~~=$£@## ##@£$=~~¨¨
¨~~=$£@### ###@£$=~~¨
¨¨~~=$£@## ##@£$=~~¨¨
¨¨¨~~=$£@# #@£$=~~¨¨¨