§¨¨¨§¨¨§§¨                                          §¨¨¨¨§§¨§¨
§¨¨§§¨§¨§¨                                          §¨¨¨§¨§§§§
§¨§¨§§§§§¨                                          §¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨
§§§§¨¨¨¨§§                                          §¨§¨¨§¨¨¨§
¨¨¨§¨¨¨§¨¨                                          §§§¨§§¨¨§¨
¨¨§§¨¨§§¨§               ~~~~~~~~~~~                ¨¨§§¨§¨§§¨
¨§¨§¨§¨§§¨              ^^           ^^             ¨§¨§§§§¨§¨
§§§§§§§¨§§            /   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.           §§¨¨¨§¨¨¨§
¨§¨¨¨¨§§§§                                          ¨§¨¨§§¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          §§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨¨§§¨¨¨§                                          ¨§§§§§§§§¨
§§¨§¨§¨¨§§                                          §¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨
¨§§§§§¨§¨¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§