.....-^§§§                                          §§§^-.....
...~~~~§§£                                          £§§~~~~...
...---~^§§                                          §§^~---...
..-~^§§§§§                                          §§§§§^~-..
.-~~~^§§§£                                          £§§§^~~~-.
.-~^§§***£                ~~~~~~~~~~~               £***§§^~-.
.-~^§*§£##             §§           §§              ##£§*§^~-.
.-~^§*§£##            ^   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.           §§^^--....
....-^*§§#                                          #§§*^-....
.-~^§*§£##                                          ##£§*§^~-.
.-~~^§§§§§                                          §§§§§^~~-.
....-~§*£#                                          #£*§~-....
.-~^§*§§§£                                          £§§§*§^~-.