§¨¨¨§§§§§§                                          ¨§¨¨§§¨¨§¨
§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨                                          §§§¨§¨§¨§§
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§§§§§§¨
¨¨§§§¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§
§¨§¨¨§§§¨¨                                          §¨¨§§¨¨¨¨§
¨§§§¨§¨¨§¨                »»»»»»»»»»»               ¨§¨§¨§¨¨¨§
§§¨¨§§§¨§§              §§           §§             ¨§§§§§§¨¨§
¨¨§¨§¨¨§§¨            /   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.           ¨§§¨¨§§§§¨
¨§§§§§¨§¨§                                          §§¨§¨§¨¨¨§
§§¨¨¨¨§§§§                                          ¨¨§§§§§¨¨§
¨¨§¨¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨§
§¨§§¨¨§§¨¨                                          §¨§§¨¨¨§§§
¨§§¨§¨§¨§¨                                          ¨§§¨§¨¨§¨¨