...^«^$$##                                          ##$$^«^...
....^«^$$#                                          #$$^«^....
.....^«^$$                                          $$^«^.....
......^«^$                                          $^«^......
.......^«^                                          ^«^.......
......^«^$                «««««««««««               $^«^......
.....^«^$$              $$           $$             $$^«^.....
....^«^$$#             ^   BLUE FIRE   ^            #$$^«^....
...^«^$$##             $$           $$              ##$$^«^...
..^«^$$###                «««««««««««               ###$$^«^..
.^«^$$####                                          ####$$^«^.
..^«^$$###  THE .BLUE FIRE. IS A CARNIVOROUS PLANT  ###$$^«^..
...^«^$$##  LIVING MOSTLY AT THE WESTERN ALVAR (BUT ##$$^«^...
....^«^$$#   IT HAS SPREAD TO A FEW OTHER PLACES,   #$$^«^....
.....^«^$$           MOSTLY ROCKY COASTS).          $$^«^.....
......^«^$                                          $^«^......
.......^«^     THE PLANT IS A DENSE NETWORK OF      ^«^.......
......^«^$  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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.^«^$$####                                          ####$$^«^.
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