##@&%†/~-¨                                          ¨-~/†%&@##
#@&%†/~-¨¨                                          ¨¨-~/†%&@#
@&%†/~-¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨-~/†%&@
#@&%†/~-¨¨                                          ¨¨-~/†%&@#
##@&%†/~-¨                                          ¨-~/†%&@##
#@&%†/~-¨¨                ~~~~~~~~~~~               ¨¨-~/†%&@#
@&%†/~-¨¨¨              ††           ††             ¨¨¨-~/†%&@
#@&%†/~-¨¨             /   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.           ¨¨-~/†%&@#
##@&%†/~-¨                                          ¨-~/†%&@##
#@&%†/~-¨¨                                          ¨¨-~/†%&@#
@&%†/~-¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨-~/†%&@
#@&%†/~-¨¨                                          ¨¨-~/†%&@#
##@&%†/~-¨                                          ¨-~/†%&@##