£¨¨¨£¨££££                                          ££¨££¨£¨¨£
¨£¨¨£££¨¨¨                                          £¨££¨£££¨£
£££¨£¨¨£¨¨                                          ¨££¨££¨¨££
¨¨¨£££¨££¨                                          ¨£¨££¨£¨£¨
¨¨¨£¨¨££¨£                                          ££££¨£££££
£¨¨££¨£¨££                ===========               ¨¨¨¨££¨¨¨¨
££¨£¨££££¨             ^^           ^^              ¨¨¨¨£¨£¨¨¨
£¨££££¨¨¨£            =   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.           £¨£££¨££££
¨£££¨¨¨£¨£                                          £££¨¨££¨¨¨
¨£¨¨£¨¨£££                                          £¨¨£¨£¨£¨¨
¨££¨££¨£¨¨                                          ¨£¨££££££¨
¨£¨££¨£££¨                                          ¨£££¨¨¨¨¨£
££££¨££¨¨£                                          ¨£¨¨£¨¨¨¨£