¨,~†§$#£@#                                          #@£#$§†~,¨
¨,~~†††$£@                                          @£$†††~~,¨
¨,~†§$#£@@                                          @@£#$§†~,¨
¨¨,,~~†§##                                          ##§†~~,,¨¨
¨,~†§$#£@#                                          #@£#$§†~,¨
¨,~††§§#££                ~~~~~~~~~~~               ££#§§††~,¨
¨,~†§$#£@#              §§           §§             #@£#$§†~,¨
¨¨¨¨¨~††§#            †   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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