#£*=~^,,,, ,,,,^~=*£#
##£*=~^,,, ,,,^~=*£##
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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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