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