@§££=:::..                                          ..:::=££§@
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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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@£=«:.....                                          .....:«=£@
@££=:.....                                          .....:=££@
##@§£%=«:.                                          .:«=%£§@##