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