##@£**†~,, ,,~†**£@##
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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. ,,,,,~**£#
###£**†~,, ,,~†**£###
#£*~~,,,,, †**~~~~~**† ,,,,,~~*£#
##@£**†~,, ,,~†**£@##
£*†,,,,,,, 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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