&,&,,,&&,& &&,,,,,,,&
&,,&,,&&,, ,&&,,,,,,&
&&,,&,&&&, ,&&&,,,,,&
,&&,,,&,&& ,&,&&,,,,&
,&&&,,,,&& ,,,&&&,,,,
,&,&&,,,&, ~~~~~~~~~~~ &,,&,&&,,,
,,,&&&,,,, ** ** &&,,,&&&,,
,,,&,&&,,, ; 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. ,&&,,,&,&&
&,,,,&,&&, ,&&&,,,,&&
&&,,,,,&&& ,&,&&,,,&,
&&&,,,,&,& ,,,&&&,,,,
&,&&,,,,,& ,,,&,&&,,,
,,&&&,,,,& ,,,,,&&&,,