¨:=†%%@@## ##@@%%†=:¨
¨¨:=†%%@@# #@@%%†=:¨¨
¨¨¨:=†%%@@ @@%%†=:¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨:=†%%@ @%%†=:¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨:=†%% %%†=:¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨:=†%%@ =========== @%%†=:¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨:=†%%@@ %% %% @@%%†=:¨¨¨
¨¨:=†%%@@# † 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. #@@%%†=:¨¨
¨:=†%%@@## ##@@%%†=:¨
¨¨:=†%%@@# #@@%%†=:¨¨
¨¨¨:=†%%@@ @@%%†=:¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨:=†%%@ @%%†=:¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨:=†%% %%†=:¨¨¨¨¨