¨¨,~†§*&##                                          ##&*§†~,¨¨
¨,~†§*&###                                          ###&*§†~,¨
¨¨,~†§*&##                                          ##&*§†~,¨¨
¨¨¨,~†§*&#                                          #&*§†~,¨¨¨
¨¨,~†§*&##                                          ##&*§†~,¨¨
¨,~†§*&###                ~~~~~~~~~~~               ###&*§†~,¨
¨¨,~†§*&##             §§           §§              ##&*§†~,¨¨
¨¨¨,~†§*&#             †   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.           #&*§†~,¨¨¨
¨¨,~†§*&##                                          ##&*§†~,¨¨
¨,~†§*&###                                          ###&*§†~,¨
¨¨,~†§*&##                                          ##&*§†~,¨¨
¨¨¨,~†§*&#                                          #&*§†~,¨¨¨
¨¨,~†§*&##                                          ##&*§†~,¨¨