##@£*†;~^¨ ¨^~;†*£@##
#@£*†;~^¨¨ ¨¨^~;†*£@#
@£*†;~^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^~;†*£@
£*†;~^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^~;†*£
*†;~^¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨^~;†*
†;~^¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~;†
;~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ †† †† ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~;
~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ; 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. ¨¨¨¨^~;†*£
*†;~^¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨^~;†*
†;~^¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~;†
;~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~;
~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^