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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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