..&&...&&. &.&..&....
..&.&..&.& &&&&.&&...
..&&&&.&&& ....&&.&..
..&...&&.. ....&.&&&.
..&&..&.&. ....&&&..&
&.&.&.&&&& ««««««««««« ....&..&.&
.&&&&&&... == == &...&&.&&&
&&.....&.. ^ 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. &&&.&...&&
.&..&&&&&. &..&&&..&.
.&&.&....& .&.&..&.&&
&&.&&&...& &&&&&.&&&.
&.&&..&..& .....&&..&
.&&.&.&&.& &....&.&.&