¨¨¨¨¨¨:«^*                                          *^«:¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:«^                                          ^«:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:«                                          «:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:                                          :¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:                «««««««««««               :¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:«             **           **              «:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:«^             ^   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.           ^«:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:«                                          «:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:                                          :¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:                                          :¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:«                                          «:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨