,,:-†%§£## ##£§%†-:,,
,,,:-†%§£# #£§%†-:,,,
,,,,:-†%§£ £§%†-:,,,,
,,,,,:-†%§ §%†-:,,,,,
,,,,,,:-†% %†-:,,,,,,
,,,,,:-†%§ ----------- §%†-:,,,,,
,,,,:-†%§£ %% %% £§%†-:,,,,
,,,:-†%§£# † 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. §%†-:,,,,,
,,,,:-†%§£ £§%†-:,,,,
,,,:-†%§£# #£§%†-:,,,
,,:-†%§£## ##£§%†-:,,
,:-†%§£### ###£§%†-:,
,,:-†%§£## ##£§%†-:,,