¨¨¨¨¨¨^~^$                                          $^~^¨¨¨¨¨¨
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¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~                                          ~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
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¨¨¨¨¨¨^~^$                                          $^~^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^~^$§                ~~~~~~~~~~~               §$^~^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^~^$§£              $$           $$             £§$^~^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^~^$§££             ^   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.           §$^~^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^~^$                                          $^~^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~^                                          ^~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~                                          ~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
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¨¨¨¨¨¨^~^$                                          $^~^¨¨¨¨¨¨