§¨§¨§¨¨¨§§                                          ¨§§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨¨§¨§                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§§¨§                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨¨§¨§                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§§¨§                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨¨§¨§                ===========               §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§§¨§              %%           %%             §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨¨§¨§            /   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.           §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§§¨§                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨¨§¨§                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§§¨§                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨¨§¨§                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§§¨§                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨