¨¨¨,~†$%&@ @&%$†~,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~†$%& &%$†~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,~†$% %$†~,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,~†$ $†~,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~† †~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,~†$ ~~~~~~~~~~~ $†~,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,~†$% $$ $$ %$†~,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~†$%& † 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. &%$†~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,~†$%&@ @&%$†~,¨¨¨
¨¨,~†$%&@@ @@&%$†~,¨¨
¨,~†$%&@@# #@@&%$†~,¨
¨¨,~†$%&@@ @@&%$†~,¨¨
¨¨¨,~†$%&@ @&%$†~,¨¨¨