\«~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«\
@\«~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~«\@
¤@\«~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~«\@¤
@¤@\«~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~«\@¤@
#@¤@\«~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~«\@¤@#
##@¤@\«~¨¨ ««««««««««« ¨¨~«\@¤@##
###@¤@\«~¨ $$ $$ ¨~«\@¤@###
##@¤@\«~¨¨ \ 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. ¨¨~«\@¤@##
#@¤@\«~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~«\@¤@#
@¤@\«~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~«\@¤@
¤@\«~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~«\@¤
@\«~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~«\@
\«~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«\