§†-:,,,,,, ,,,,,,:-†§
†-:,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,:-†
-:,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,:-
:,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,:
-:,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,:-
†-:,,,,,,, ----------- ,,,,,,,:-†
§†-:,,,,,, §§ §§ ,,,,,,:-†§
&§†-:,,,,, † 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. ,,,,,:-†§&
§&§†-:,,,, ,,,,:-†§&§
¶§&§†-:,,, ,,,:-†§&§¶
#¶§&§†-:,, ,,:-†§&§¶#
##¶§&§†-:, ,:-†§&§¶##
#¶§&§†-:,, ,,:-†§&§¶#