¨.«:%§&£##                                          ##£&§%:«.¨
¨¨.«:%§&£#                                          #£&§%:«.¨¨
¨.«:%§&£##                                          ##£&§%:«.¨
¨¨.«:%§&£#                                          #£&§%:«.¨¨
¨.«:%§&£##                                          ##£&§%:«.¨
¨¨.«:%§&£#                «««««««««««               #£&§%:«.¨¨
¨.«:%§&£##             %%           %%              ##£&§%:«.¨
¨¨.«:%§&£#             :   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.           #£&§%:«.¨¨
¨.«:%§&£##                                          ##£&§%:«.¨
¨¨.«:%§&£#                                          #£&§%:«.¨¨
¨.«:%§&£##                                          ##£&§%:«.¨
¨¨.«:%§&£#                                          #£&§%:«.¨¨
¨.«:%§&£##                                          ##£&§%:«.¨