¨¨¨¨¨^«*%$ $%*«^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^«*% %*«^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«* *«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^« «^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^ ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^« ««««««««««« «^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«* %% %% *«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^«*% * BLUE FIRE * %*«^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^«*%$ %% %% $%*«^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^«*%$¤ ««««««««««« ¤$%*«^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^«*%$¤# #¤$%*«^¨¨¨
¨¨^«*%$¤## 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 $%*«^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^«*% POISON ON THE PURPLE HAIRS, AND %*«^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«* DEVOURED OVER A PERIOD OF HOURS. *«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^« «^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^ PROCREATION CAN HAPPEN SEXUALLY VIA ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^« SPORES (CRYPTOGAMIA) OR ASEXUALLY WHEN «^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«* THE ROOTS ARE CUT, DIVIDING AN *«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^«*% INDIVIDUAL INTO TWO. %*«^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^«*%$ $%*«^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^«*%$¤ ¤$%*«^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^«*%$¤# #¤$%*«^¨¨¨
¨¨^«*%$¤## ##¤$%*«^¨¨
¨^«*%$¤### ###¤$%*«^¨