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##£¤¤%^~,, ,,~^%¤¤£##
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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). ,,,,,~^%¤¤
£¤¤%^~,,,, ,,,,~^%¤¤£
#£¤¤%^~,,, 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. ,,,,~^%¤¤£
#£¤¤%^~,,, ,,,~^%¤¤£#
##£¤¤%^~,, ,,~^%¤¤£##
###£¤¤%^~, ,~^%¤¤£###
##£¤¤%^~,, ,,~^%¤¤£##
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