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.,~†%%£@##                                          ##@£%%†~,.
....,††%££                                          ££%††,....
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.....,†%%£                ~~~~~~~~~~~               £%%†,.....
.,~†%%£@##              %%           %%             ##@£%%†~,.
.,~†%%£@##             †   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. @%%%†,,...
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.,~~~%%££@                †%%~~~~~%%†               @££%%~~~,.
.,~†%%£@##                                          ##@£%%†~,.
.,~†%%£@##   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.           ##@£%%†~,.
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