§@*^~^,,,, ,,,,^~^*@§
¶§@*^~^,,, ,,,^~^*@§¶
@¶§@*^~^,, ,,^~^*@§¶@
#@¶§@*^~^, ,^~^*@§¶@#
@¶§@*^~^,, ,,^~^*@§¶@
¶§@*^~^,,, ~~~~~~~~~~~ ,,,^~^*@§¶
§@*^~^,,,, ** ** ,,,,^~^*@§
@*^~^,,,,, ^ 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. ,,,,,^~^*@
*^~^,,,,,, ,,,,,,^~^*
^~^,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,^~^
~^,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,^~
^,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,^
~^,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,^~