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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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