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¨¨¨¨¨:~;†£            ;   BLUE FIRE   ;             £†;~:¨¨¨¨¨
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¨¨¨:~;†££#                ~~~~~~~~~~~               #££†;~:¨¨¨
¨¨:~;†££##                                          ##££†;~:¨¨
¨:~;†££###  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.                 #££†;~:¨¨¨
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¨¨¨¨¨:~;†£  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.   †;~:¨¨¨¨¨¨
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¨¨¨¨:~;†££     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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