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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).           ££%~~¨¨¨¨¨
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¨¨¨¨~:::*£      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.                 ##¶£*%:~.¨
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¨.~:%*£###  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. #¶£%~~¨¨¨¨
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¨.~:%*£¶##                :%%~~~~~%%:               ##¶£*%:~.¨
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¨.~:%*£¶##   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.     ##¶£*%:~.¨
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¨¨¨¨¨.:%*¶   PROCREATION CAN HAPPEN SEXUALLY VIA    ¶*%:.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.~%***£  SPORES (CRYPTOGAMIA) OR ASEXUALLY WHEN  £***%~.¨¨¨
¨.~:%*£¶##      THE ROOTS ARE CUT, DIVIDING AN      ##¶£*%:~.¨
¨.~:%*£¶##           INDIVIDUAL INTO TWO.           ##¶£*%:~.¨
¨.~:%*£¶##                                          ##¶£*%:~.¨
¨.~:%*£¶##                                          ##¶£*%:~.¨
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