¨¨¨¨¨^»/*% %*/»^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^»/*%£ £%*/»^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^»/*%£# #£%*/»^¨¨¨
¨¨^»/*%£## ##£%*/»^¨¨
¨^»/*%£### ###£%*/»^¨
¨¨^»/*%£## »»»»»»»»»»» ##£%*/»^¨¨
¨¨¨^»/*%£# ** ** #£%*/»^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^»/*%£ / 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. ##£%*/»^¨¨
¨¨¨^»/*%£# #£%*/»^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^»/*%£ £%*/»^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^»/*% %*/»^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^»/* */»^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^»/*% %*/»^¨¨¨¨¨