¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨¨§§§¨§§§
§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§                                          §¨¨§¨§¨§¨§
§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨                                          §§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          §§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨§¨¨¨                                          §¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨§¨¨                -----------               ¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§§§¨¨§¨             $$           $$              ¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨§             †   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.           ¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨§§§¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨§¨§§¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§§§¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨