&*†~^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^~†*&
*†~^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~†*
†~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~†
~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨               ~~~~~~~~~~~                ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             **           **              ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨            †   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.           ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^