¨¨¨¨¨~-=%£ £%=-~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~-=% %=-~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-= =-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~- -~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~ ~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ----------- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ %% %% ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ = 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. -~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-= =-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~-=% %=-~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~-=%£ £%=-~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~-=%£@ @£%=-~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~-=%£@# #@£%=-~¨¨¨