¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=                                          =,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^                                          ^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^†                                          †^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,=^†£                                          £†^=,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,=^†£#                ===========               #£†^=,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,=^†£##             ††           ††              ##£†^=,¨¨¨
¨¨,=^†£###            ^   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.           #£†^=,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,=^†£                                          £†^=,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^†                                          †^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^                                          ^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=                                          =,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨