§¨¨¨§¨§§¨§                                          §§¨§¨§¨§¨¨
§¨¨§§§¨§§§                                          ¨§§§§§§§¨§
§¨§¨¨§§¨¨§                                          §¨¨¨¨¨¨§§¨
§§§¨§¨§¨§¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§
¨¨§§§§§§§¨                                          §¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§§                -----------               §¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨
§§¨¨¨¨¨§¨§             ††           ††              §¨¨§§¨§§¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨§§§§             /   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.           §§§§¨§¨§§¨
¨§§§§§¨¨§§                                          ¨¨¨§§§§¨§¨
§¨¨¨¨§¨§¨§                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨§§§¨
§¨¨¨§§§§§¨                                          ¨§§¨¨§¨¨§§
§¨¨§¨¨¨¨§§                                          §¨§¨§§¨§¨¨
§¨§§¨¨¨§¨§                                          §§§§¨§§§¨§