~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~ =~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~= †=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=† *†=~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=†* %*†=~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~=†*% @%*†=~¨¨¨¨ =========== ¨¨¨¨~=†*%@ @@%*†=~¨¨¨ ** ** ¨¨¨~=†*%@@ #@@%*†=~¨¨ † 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=†* %*†=~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~=†*% @%*†=~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~=†*%@ @@%*†=~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~=†*%@@ #@@%*†=~¨¨ ¨¨~=†*%@@# ##@@%*†=~¨ ¨~=†*%@@##