#¶*%^«.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.«^%*¶#
¶*%^«.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.«^%*¶
*%^«.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.«^%*
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*%^«.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.«^%*
¶*%^«.¨¨¨¨ ««««««««««« ¨¨¨¨.«^%*¶
#¶*%^«.¨¨¨ %% %% ¨¨¨.«^%*¶#
##¶*%^«.¨¨ ^ 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. ¨¨¨¨.«^%*¶
#¶*%^«.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.«^%*¶#
##¶*%^«.¨¨ ¨¨.«^%*¶##
###¶*%^«.¨ ¨.«^%*¶###
##¶*%^«.¨¨ ¨¨.«^%*¶##
#¶*%^«.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.«^%*¶#