§¨§¨¨¨§§¨¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§
§¨¨§¨¨§§§¨                                          §§¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨
¨§¨¨§¨§¨§§                                          ¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§§                                          ¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨                -----------               ¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨             §§           §§              §¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨            \   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.           ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨