¨§¨§¨§¨¨§§                                          §¨§§¨§¨¨§§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          §¨¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          §¨§§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          §¨¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          §¨§§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                »»»»»»»»»»»               §¨¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§              ^^           ^^             §¨§§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§             ;   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.           §¨¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          §¨§§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          §¨¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          §¨§§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          §¨¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          §¨§§¨§¨§¨§