#@£@%*^~,. .,~^*%@£@#
£%^^~..... .....~^^%£
£££@%*^~,. .,~^*%@£££
@*~,...... ......,~*@
#@£@%*^~,. .,~^*%@£@#
££@%%*^~,. ~~~~~~~~~~~ .,~^*%%@££
#@£@%*^~,. ** ** .,~^*%@£@#
@*~~~~,... ^ 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. .,,,,~*@£@
#@£@%*^~,. .,~^*%@£@#
##@@%*^~,. .,~^*%@@##
@%^^,,.... ....,,^^%@
##@£@*^~,. .,~^*@£@##
£%^^~,.... ....,~^^%£