¨¨#¨¨#¨¨#¨ ¨#¨##¨##¨¨ ¨¨¨#¨¨#¨¨¨ ¨¨¨##¨###¨ ¨¨¨¨#¨¨#¨¨ #¨¨##¨#¨## #¨¨¨¨#¨¨#¨ ##¨##¨¨¨## ##¨¨¨¨#¨¨# ¨#¨###¨¨#¨ ###¨¨¨¨#¨¨ =========== ¨¨¨#¨##¨¨¨ #¨##¨¨¨¨#¨ == == ¨¨¨¨¨###¨¨ ¨¨###¨¨¨¨# / 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. #¨¨¨¨#¨¨#¨ ¨¨#¨##¨¨#¨ ##¨¨¨¨#¨¨# #¨¨¨###¨¨# ###¨¨¨¨#¨¨ ¨#¨¨#¨##¨¨ #¨##¨¨¨¨#¨ ¨¨#¨¨¨###¨ ¨¨###¨¨¨¨# #¨¨#¨¨#¨## ¨¨#¨##¨¨¨¨