¨:~:§$§#@@ @@#§$§:~:¨
¨:~:§$§#@# #@#§$§:~:¨
¨:~:§$§#@# #@#§$§:~:¨
¨:~:§$§#@@ @@#§$§:~:¨
¨¨¨::~~:$# #$:~~::¨¨¨
¨:~:§$§#@# ~~~~~~~~~~~ #@#§$§:~:¨
¨¨¨¨::$§#@ §§ §§ @#§$::¨¨¨¨
¨:~:§$§#@@ : BLUE FIRE : @@#§$§:~:¨
¨:~:§$§#@# §§ §§ #@#§$§:~:¨
¨:~:§$§### ~~~~~~~~~~~ ###§$§:~:¨
¨:~:§$§§## ##§§$§:~:¨
¨:~:§$#@## THE ¨BLUE FIRE¨ IS A CARNIVOROUS PLANT ##@#$§:~:¨
¨:~:§$$$§# LIVING MOSTLY AT THE WESTERN ALVAR (BUT #§$$$§:~:¨
¨:~:§$§#@# IT HAS SPREAD TO A FEW OTHER PLACES, #@#§$§:~:¨
¨:~:§$§#@# MOSTLY ROCKY COASTS). #@#§$§:~:¨
¨:~:§§#@## ##@#§§:~:¨
¨:~:§$§### THE PLANT IS A DENSE NETWORK OF ###§$§:~:¨
¨:~:§$§#@# GREEN-BROWN TENTACLE-LIKE ROOTS, WHICH #@#§$§:~:¨
¨:~:§$§#@# IS OFTEN CALLED "RAT'S TAIL" BEFORE #@#§$§:~:¨
¨:~~~~:$$# BLOOMING. IN LATE JUNE, IT QUICKLY #$$:~~~~:¨
¨:::~::$#@ SPROUTS FEELERS, TEN TO THIRTY @#$::~:::¨
¨:~:§$§#@# CENTIMETERS HIGH, FILLED WITH PURPLE #@#§$§:~:¨
¨¨¨¨¨~:$§@ HAIRS - THIS IS THE BLUE FIRE. THIS @§$:~¨¨¨¨¨
¨:~:$§#@## STAGE LASTS FOR ONE OR TWO WEEKS, ##@#§$:~:¨
¨¨¨:~:$§§§ DEPENDING ON FOOD ACCESS, WATER, §§§$:~:¨¨¨
¨:~:§$§### CLIMATE. ###§$§:~:¨
¨:~:§$§#@@ @@#§$§:~:¨
¨¨¨¨:~::§§ 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, ##$$$§:~:¨
¨¨¨::~§§§@ BUT ALL GROWTH AND PROCREATION MUST @§§§~::¨¨¨
¨¨¨::§§§§# HAPPEN DURING THE TWO WEEKS IN JUNE. #§§§§::¨¨¨
¨:~~::§§§@ @§§§::~~:¨
¨:~:§$§#@# NOW THE PLANT FEEDS ON BIRDS; THE #@#§$§:~:¨
¨:~:§$§### SEMISTIFF UPRIGHT FEELERS LOOKS LIKE AN ###§$§:~:¨
¨¨¨¨::§§§# EXTENSION OF THE SEA, AND BIRDS ARE #§§§::¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨::§$# TRICKED INTO LANDING OR DIVING INTO IT. #$§::¨¨¨¨¨
¨:~~~§§§## THEY ARE QUICKLY PARALYZED BY THE ##§§§~~~:¨
¨¨:~~~§$#@ POISON ON THE PURPLE HAIRS, AND @#$§~~~:¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨:::$# DEVOURED OVER A PERIOD OF HOURS. #$:::¨¨¨¨¨
¨:~:§$§#@# #@#§$§:~:¨
¨::~~~§§§@ PROCREATION CAN HAPPEN SEXUALLY VIA @§§§~~~::¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~:$# SPORES (CRYPTOGAMIA) OR ASEXUALLY WHEN #$:~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨:~:§$§#@# THE ROOTS ARE CUT, DIVIDING AN #@#§$§:~:¨
¨:~:§$§### INDIVIDUAL INTO TWO. ###§$§:~:¨
¨¨¨:~§§$$§ §$$§§~:¨¨¨
¨:~:§$§#@# #@#§$§:~:¨
¨:~:§$§§#@ @#§§$§:~:¨
¨:~:§§§§## ##§§§§:~:¨
¨:~§$§#@## ##@#§$§~:¨