§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨                                          §§§¨§¨¨¨§¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          §¨§¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨                                          §¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨               ~~~~~~~~~~~                ¨§¨¨¨¨§¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨              %%           %%             ¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨            \   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.           ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨§                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§¨