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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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