##¶§*$†-~¨                                          ¨~-†$*§¶##
##¶§*$†-~¨                                          ¨~-†$*§¶##
###¶§$†-~¨                                          ¨~-†$§¶###
##¶§*$†-~¨                                          ¨~-†$*§¶##
¶§$$$-¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨-$$$§¶
###§*$†-~¨               -----------                ¨~-†$*§###
#¶***$†-~¨             $$           $$              ¨~-†$***¶#
#§***$†-~¨             †   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.           ¨¨¨¨~-†*¶¶
###§*$†-~¨                                          ¨~-†$*§###
##¶§*$†-~¨                                          ¨~-†$*§¶##
¶¶§$-~~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~~-$§¶¶
##¶§*$†-~¨                                          ¨~-†$*§¶##
###¶§*$†-¨                                          ¨-†$*§¶###