§¨§§¨§§¨§¨                                          §§§§§§¨§§¨
§§¨§§¨§§§¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§§¨§§
¨§§¨§§¨¨§§                                          ¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨
§¨§§¨§¨§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§§§¨§¨¨
§§¨§§§§§¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨§§§¨§
¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨§                -----------               ¨§§¨§¨¨§§¨
§¨§¨¨¨§§§¨             $$           $$              §¨§§§¨§¨§¨
§§§¨¨§¨¨§§             ^   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.           §¨§§¨§§§§¨
¨§¨¨§§§§¨¨                                          §§¨§§¨¨¨§§
§§¨§¨¨¨§¨§                                          ¨§§¨§¨¨§¨§
¨§§§¨¨§§§¨                                          §¨§§§¨§§§¨
§¨¨§¨§¨¨§§                                          §§¨¨§§¨¨§¨
§¨§§§§¨§¨¨                                          ¨§¨§¨§¨§§§