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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. ##£§@^†-^.
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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.     ##£§@^†-^.
.^-†^@§£##                                          ##£§@^†-^.
...---^@@£   PROCREATION CAN HAPPEN SEXUALLY VIA    £@@^---...
....^††@@§  SPORES (CRYPTOGAMIA) OR ASEXUALLY WHEN  §@@††^....
.....-†@@§      THE ROOTS ARE CUT, DIVIDING AN      §@@†-.....
.^-†^@§###           INDIVIDUAL INTO TWO.           ###§@^†-^.
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