¤%**«~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~«**%¤
#¤%**«~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~«**%¤#
##¤%**«~¨¨ ¨¨~«**%¤##
###¤%**«~¨ ¨~«**%¤###
##¤%**«~¨¨ ¨¨~«**%¤##
#¤%**«~¨¨¨ ««««««««««« ¨¨¨~«**%¤#
¤%**«~¨¨¨¨ ** ** ¨¨¨¨~«**%¤
%**«~¨¨¨¨¨ * 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. ¨¨¨¨¨~«**%
¤%**«~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~«**%¤
#¤%**«~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~«**%¤#
##¤%**«~¨¨ ¨¨~«**%¤##
###¤%**«~¨ ¨~«**%¤###
##¤%**«~¨¨ ¨¨~«**%¤##