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