@§§%~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~%§§@
##@§£%;~^,                                          ,^~;%£§@##
##@§£%;~^,                                          ,^~;%£§@##
§££%;~~~^,                                          ,^~~~;%££§
@@§§£%;~^,                                          ,^~;%£§§@@
§%~,,,,,,,                ~~~~~~~~~~~               ,,,,,,,~%§
@§%;;^,,,,             %%           %%              ,,,,^;;%§@
##@§£%;~^,             ;   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.           ,^~;%£§@##
#§§££%;~^,                                          ,^~;%££§§#
#§§%%~^,,,                                          ,,,^~%%§§#
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