¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«
:«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«:
@:«,¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨,«:@
#@:«,¨¨¨¨¨ ««««««««««« ¨¨¨¨¨,«:@#
@#@:«,¨¨¨¨ ** ** ¨¨¨¨,«:@#@
#@#@:«,¨¨¨ : 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. ¨¨¨,«:@#@#
@#@:«,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,«:@#@
#@:«,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,«:@#
@:«,¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨,«:@
:«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«:
«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«