,,==%£####                                          ####£%==,,
,,==§%£###                                          ###£%§==,,
,,,,,,,=§£                                          £§=,,,,,,,
,,,,,=%%£#                                          #£%%=,,,,,
,,,,,,==%£                                          £%==,,,,,,
,,==§%£###               ===========                ###£%§==,,
,,==§%£###             §§           §§              ###£%§==,,
,,==§%£###             =   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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,,==§%£###                                          ###£%§==,,