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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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