.......«:%                                          %:«.......
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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. §%:«......
.....«:%§§                                          §§%:«.....
....«:%§§@                :%%«««««%%:               @§§%:«....
...«:%§§@#                                          #@§§%:«...
..«:%§§@##  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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