£&&$«^^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^^«$&&£
££$\«^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^«\$££
#£$$$«¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨«$$$£#
##£&$$\«^¨                                          ¨^«\$$&£##
##£&$$\«^¨                                          ¨^«\$$&£##
&$$«¨¨¨¨¨¨               «««««««««««                ¨¨¨¨¨¨«$$&
##£&$$\«^¨             $$           $$              ¨^«\$$&£##
£££&$$\«^¨            \   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      ¨^«\$$&£##
###£&$$«^¨           INDIVIDUAL INTO TWO.           ¨^«$$&£###
&$$\«^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^«\$$&
##£&$$\«^¨                                          ¨^«\$$&£##
##£&$$\«^¨                                          ¨^«\$$&£##
##£&$$\«^¨                                          ¨^«\$$&£##
£$$$««¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨««$$$£