&%†-¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨-†%&
@&%%†-¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨-†%%&@
##@&£%†«-¨                                          ¨-«†%£&@##
##@&£%†«-¨                                          ¨-«†%£&@##
@&&&£%†«-¨                                          ¨-«†%£&&&@
##@&£%†«-¨               «««««««««««                ¨-«†%£&@##
##@&£%†«-¨             %%           %%              ¨-«†%£&@##
#@£††--¨¨¨             †   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.           ¨¨¨¨-«%&&#
&%%%«¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨«%%%&
###@&%†«-¨                                          ¨-«†%&@###
&£††-¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨-††£&
@@@&£%†«-¨                                          ¨-«†%£&@@@
##@&£%†«-¨                                          ¨-«†%£&@##