¨§¨¨§§¨¨¨¨                                          §§¨§¨§¨¨¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨¨¨§                                          ¨§¨§¨§¨¨§§
¨§¨§¨§¨¨§§                                          §§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          §§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§               ===========                ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§              %%           %%             §§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§            †   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.           ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          §§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          §§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          §§¨§¨§¨§¨§