§§†=,,,,,, ,,,,,,=†§§
§†=,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,=†§
§§†=,,,,,, ,,,,,,=†§§
¤§§†=,,,,, ,,,,,=†§§¤
#¤§§†=,,,, ,,,,=†§§¤#
##¤§§†=,,, =========== ,,,=†§§¤##
###¤§§†=,, §§ §§ ,,=†§§¤###
####¤§§†=, † 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. ,=†§§¤####
###¤§§†=,, ,,=†§§¤###
##¤§§†=,,, ,,,=†§§¤##
#¤§§†=,,,, ,,,,=†§§¤#
¤§§†=,,,,, ,,,,,=†§§¤
§§†=,,,,,, ,,,,,,=†§§