¨.«^=%@@@# #@@@%=^«.¨
¨¨.«^=%@@@ @@@%=^«.¨¨
¨¨¨.«^=%@@ @@%=^«.¨¨¨
¨¨.«^=%@@@ @@@%=^«.¨¨
¨.«^=%@@@# #@@@%=^«.¨
¨¨.«^=%@@@ ««««««««««« @@@%=^«.¨¨
¨¨¨.«^=%@@ == == @@%=^«.¨¨¨
¨¨.«^=%@@@ ^ 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. @@@%=^«.¨¨
¨.«^=%@@@# #@@@%=^«.¨
¨¨.«^=%@@@ @@@%=^«.¨¨
¨¨¨.«^=%@@ @@%=^«.¨¨¨
¨¨.«^=%@@@ @@@%=^«.¨¨
¨.«^=%@@@# #@@@%=^«.¨