,,,,^«^^&& &&^^«^,,,, ,^«\^§§§@@ @@§§§^\«^, ,,,,^«\^§@ @§^\«^,,,, ,^«\^§§§§@ @§§§§^\«^, ,^«\^§&&@@ @@&&§^\«^, ,^«\^§&@## ««««««««««« ##@&§^\«^, ,^«\^§&### ^^ ^^ ###&§^\«^, ,,,,^\\§§@ \ 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. &§\^,,,,,, ,,,,«^§§&@ @&§§^«,,,, ,^«\^§&@## ##@&§^\«^, ,^«\^§&@## ##@&§^\«^, ,,,,,,«^&# #&^«,,,,,, ,,,,^«\§&@ @&§\«^,,,,