¨,~/*$§###                                          ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§##                                          ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§###                                          ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§##                                          ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§###                                          ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§##                ~~~~~~~~~~~               ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§###              **           **             ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§##            /   BLUE FIRE   /             ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§###              **           **             ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§##               ~~~~~~~~~~~                ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§###                                          ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§##  THE ¨BLUE FIRE¨ IS A CARNIVOROUS PLANT  ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§### LIVING MOSTLY AT THE WESTERN ALVAR (BUT  ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§##   IT HAS SPREAD TO A FEW OTHER PLACES,   ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§###          MOSTLY ROCKY COASTS).           ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§##                                          ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§###     THE PLANT IS A DENSE NETWORK OF      ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§##  GREEN-BROWN TENTACLE-LIKE ROOTS, WHICH  ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§###   IS OFTEN CALLED "RAT'S TAIL" BEFORE    ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§##    BLOOMING. IN LATE JUNE, IT QUICKLY    ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§###      SPROUTS FEELERS, TEN TO THIRTY      ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§##   CENTIMETERS HIGH, FILLED WITH PURPLE   ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§###    HAIRS - THIS IS THE BLUE FIRE. THIS   ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§##     STAGE LASTS FOR ONE OR TWO WEEKS,    ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§###     DEPENDING ON FOOD ACCESS, WATER,     ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§##                 CLIMATE.                 ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§###                                          ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§##  OFTEN IT'S NOT CLEAR HOW FAR THE PLANT  ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§###    HAS SPREAD UNLESS ITS IN THE FIRE     ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§## STAGE. SUDDENLY, AS IF OVERNIGHT, WHOLE  ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§###   FIELDS CAN BE TURNED ABLAZE (WITH THE  ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§## SAME INDIVIDUAL PLANT, AS WELL)! IN THE  ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§###  BLOOMING PEAK, IT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR THE ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§## WHOLE ALVAR TO BE CONNECTED NORTH-SOUTH. ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§###                                          ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§##               /**~~~~~**/                ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§###                                          ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§##  FIFTY WEEKS OF THE YEAR, WHILE IN RAT   ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§### STAGE, THE BLUE FIRE FEEDS ON THE STONE  ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§##   ITSELF VIA A SLOW CHEMICAL ATTRITION.  ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§### THIS IS ENOUGH TO KEEP THE ROOTS ALIVE,  ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§##   BUT ALL GROWTH AND PROCREATION MUST    ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§###   HAPPEN DURING THE TWO WEEKS IN JUNE.   ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§##                                          ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§###    NOW THE PLANT FEEDS ON BIRDS; THE     ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§##  SEMISTIFF UPRIGHT FEELERS LOOKS LIKE AN ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§###    EXTENSION OF THE SEA, AND BIRDS ARE   ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§## TRICKED INTO LANDING OR DIVING INTO IT.  ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§###     THEY ARE QUICKLY PARALYZED BY THE    ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§##      POISON ON THE PURPLE HAIRS, AND     ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§###     DEVOURED OVER A PERIOD OF HOURS.     ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§##                                          ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§###   PROCREATION CAN HAPPEN SEXUALLY VIA    ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§##  SPORES (CRYPTOGAMIA) OR ASEXUALLY WHEN  ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§###      THE ROOTS ARE CUT, DIVIDING AN      ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§##           INDIVIDUAL INTO TWO.           ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§###                                          ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§##                                          ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§###                                          ###§$*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*$§##                                          ##§$*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*$§###                                          ###§$*/~,¨