¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«                                          «,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«                                          «,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«^               «««««««««««                ^«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«^*              **           **             *^«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«^*§             ^   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.           ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«                                          «,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«^                                          ^«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«^*                                          *^«,¨¨¨¨¨¨