§¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          §§¨¨§§§§§§
§¨¨¨§§¨¨¨§                                          ¨§¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨
§¨¨§¨§¨¨§§                                          §§§§¨¨¨¨¨§
§¨§§§§¨§¨§                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨
§§¨¨¨§§§§¨                                          ¨¨§§¨¨¨§§§
¨§¨¨§¨¨¨§¨               ~~~~~~~~~~~                ¨§¨§¨¨§¨¨¨
§§¨§§¨¨§§§              %%           %%             §§§§¨§§¨¨¨
¨§§¨§¨§¨¨§             /   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.           §§§¨¨¨§¨§¨
¨§¨§§§§¨§§                                          ¨¨§¨¨§§§§§
§§§¨¨¨§§¨§                                          ¨§§¨§¨¨¨¨§
¨¨§¨¨§¨§§§                                          §¨§§§¨¨¨§¨
¨§§¨§§§¨¨¨                                          §§¨¨§¨¨§§¨
§¨§§¨¨§¨¨§                                          ¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨