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.,=†$$£###                ===========               ###£$$†=,.
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.....=$££#             †   BLUE FIRE   †            #££$=.....
.,=†$$£###             $$           $$              ###£$$†=,.
....==$$$£               ===========                £$$$==....
.,=††$$$££                                          ££$$$††=,.
,=†$$£####  THE .BLUE FIRE. IS A CARNIVOROUS PLANT  ####£$$†=,
....,†$$££  LIVING MOSTLY AT THE WESTERN ALVAR (BUT ££$$†,....
.,=†$$£###   IT HAS SPREAD TO A FEW OTHER PLACES,   ###£$$†=,.
.....,†$£#           MOSTLY ROCKY COASTS).          #£$†,.....
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.,=†$$$$##      THE PLANT IS A DENSE NETWORK OF     ##$$$$†=,.
.,=†$£####  GREEN-BROWN TENTACLE-LIKE ROOTS, WHICH  ####£$†=,.
.,=†$$£###    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. £$$†,.....
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.,=†$$£###                †$$=====$$†               ###£$$†=,.
.....=†$£#                                          #£$†=.....
.....,,†$#   FIFTY WEEKS OF THE YEAR, WHILE IN RAT  #$†,,.....
.,=†$$####  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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