¨¨§§§¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§¨§¨¨§
§¨§¨§§¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨                                          §§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨                                          §§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨§¨§§                ~~~~~~~~~~~               §¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§§             **           **              ¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨             :   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.           ¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨