¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨                                          §¨¨¨§¨§§§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§¨                                          §§¨¨§§§¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§                                          ¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
¨§¨¨¨¨¨§§§                                          ¨¨§§§§¨§§§
§§§¨¨¨¨§¨¨                                          §¨§¨¨¨§§¨¨
§¨¨§¨¨¨§§¨                -----------               ¨§§§¨¨§¨§¨
§§¨§§¨¨§¨§              $$           $$             §§¨¨§¨§§§§
¨¨§§¨§¨§§§            =   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.           ¨¨§¨§¨¨¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§§§§¨¨¨§
§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨                                          §¨§¨¨¨§¨¨§
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨§§§¨¨§§¨§
§¨§§§¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§§
¨§§¨¨§§§¨¨                                          ¨§§¨§§§§§¨