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###£$%†~:,              %%           %%             ,:~†%$£###
###£$%†~:,            †   BLUE FIRE   †             ,:~†%$£###
###£$%†~:,             %%           %%              ,:~†%$£###
###£$%†~:,                ~~~~~~~~~~~               ,:~†%$£###
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##££$%†~:,  THE ,BLUE FIRE, IS A CARNIVOROUS PLANT  ,:~†%$££##
###£$%†~:,  LIVING MOSTLY AT THE WESTERN ALVAR (BUT ,:~†%$£###
#$%~~,,,,,   IT HAS SPREAD TO A FEW OTHER PLACES,   ,,,,,~~%$#
#£%†:,,,,,          MOSTLY ROCKY COASTS).           ,,,,,:†%£#
#£££$%†~:,                                          ,:~†%$£££#
###£$%†~:,      THE PLANT IS A DENSE NETWORK OF     ,:~†%$£###
##£$%%†~:,  GREEN-BROWN TENTACLE-LIKE ROOTS, WHICH  ,:~†%%$£##
#£%~:,,,,,   IS OFTEN CALLED "RAT'S TAIL" BEFORE    ,,,,,:~%£#
###£$%†~:,    BLOOMING. IN LATE JUNE, IT QUICKLY    ,:~†%$£###
###£$%†~:,      SPROUTS FEELERS, TEN TO THIRTY      ,:~†%$£###
###£$%†~:,   CENTIMETERS HIGH, FILLED WITH PURPLE   ,:~†%$£###
###£$%†~:,   HAIRS - THIS IS THE BLUE FIRE. THIS    ,:~†%$£###
£££$$%†~:,     STAGE LASTS FOR ONE OR TWO WEEKS,    ,:~†%$$£££
###£$%†~:,     DEPENDING ON FOOD ACCESS, WATER,     ,:~†%$£###
###£$%†~:,                 CLIMATE.                 ,:~†%$£###
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#£%†~~:,,,    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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###£$%†~:,   FIFTY WEEKS OF THE YEAR, WHILE IN RAT  ,:~†%$£###
#£££$%†~:,  STAGE, THE BLUE FIRE FEEDS ON THE STONE ,:~†%$£££#
####$%†~:,  ITSELF VIA A SLOW CHEMICAL ATTRITION.   ,:~†%$####
###£$%†~:, THIS IS ENOUGH TO KEEP THE ROOTS ALIVE,  ,:~†%$£###
###£$%†~:,   BUT ALL GROWTH AND PROCREATION MUST    ,:~†%$£###
#£$%~,,,,,   HAPPEN DURING THE TWO WEEKS IN JUNE.   ,,,,,~%$£#
###£$%†~:,                                          ,:~†%$£###
####£$%~:,    NOW THE PLANT FEEDS ON BIRDS; THE     ,:~%$£####
££%%~~::,, 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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