¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨- -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-« «-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-«= =«-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-«=† †=«-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-«=†% ««««««««««« %†=«-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«=†%@ †† †† @%†=«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-«=†%@£ = 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. £@%†=«-¨¨¨
¨¨-«=†%@£@ @£@%†=«-¨¨
¨-«=†%@£@# #@£@%†=«-¨
¨¨-«=†%@£@ @£@%†=«-¨¨
¨¨¨-«=†%@£ £@%†=«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«=†%@ @%†=«-¨¨¨¨