^-~....... .......~-^
*^-~...... ......~-^*
**^-~..... .....~-^**
£**^-~.... ....~-^**£
¶£**^-~... ...~-^**£¶
#¶£**^-~.. ----------- ..~-^**£¶#
##¶£**^-~. ** ** .~-^**£¶##
###¶£**^-~ ^ 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. ......~-^*
**^-~..... .....~-^**
£**^-~.... ....~-^**£
¶£**^-~... ...~-^**£¶
#¶£**^-~.. ..~-^**£¶#
##¶£**^-~. .~-^**£¶##