§§§§¨¨§§§§                                          ¨¨§§¨¨¨¨§§
¨¨¨¨§¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨§¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨§§§§¨¨                                          ¨¨§§§§¨¨§§
§¨¨¨§¨¨¨§¨                                          §¨§¨¨¨§¨§¨
§§¨¨§§¨¨§§                                          §§§§¨¨§§§§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨§¨                ===========               §¨¨¨§¨§¨¨¨
¨¨§§§§§§§§             %%           %%              ¨§¨¨§§§§¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ^   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.           §¨§§§¨¨§¨¨
§¨¨§§¨¨§§¨                                          ¨§§¨¨§¨§§¨
§§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          §§¨§¨§§§¨§
¨¨§§§§§§§§                                          ¨¨§§§§¨¨§§
§¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          §¨§¨¨¨§¨§¨
§§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          §§§§¨¨§§§§