,,,,»*^^@@ @@^^*»,,,,
,~»*^£@@@@ @@@@£^*»~,
,~»*^£@### ###@£^*»~,
,~»*^£@### ###@£^*»~,
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,~»*^^^£## »»»»»»»»»»» ##£^^^*»~,
,~»*^£@### ^^ ^^ ###@£^*»~,
,,~~~~»*£# * 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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