¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
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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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~»*
»~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~»
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨