£$*/«,.... ....,«/*$£
@£$*/«,... ...,«/*$£@
#@£$*/«,.. ..,«/*$£@#
##@£$*/«,. .,«/*$£@##
#@£$*/«,.. ..,«/*$£@#
@£$*/«,... ««««««««««« ...,«/*$£@
£$*/«,.... ** ** ....,«/*$£
$*/«,..... / BLUE FIRE / .....,«/*$
*/«,...... ** ** ......,«/*
/«,....... ««««««««««« .......,«/
«,........ ........,«
/«,....... 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 ......,«/*
$*/«,..... INDIVIDUAL INTO TWO. .....,«/*$
£$*/«,.... ....,«/*$£
@£$*/«,... ...,«/*$£@
#@£$*/«,.. ..,«/*$£@#
##@£$*/«,. .,«/*$£@##
#@£$*/«,.. ..,«/*$£@#