,,,,~«*$££                                          ££$*«~,,,,
,,,~«*$££#                                          #££$*«~,,,
,,~«*$££##                                          ##££$*«~,,
,~«*$££###                                          ###££$*«~,
,,~«*$££##                                          ##££$*«~,,
,,,~«*$££#               «««««««««««                #££$*«~,,,
,,,,~«*$££              $$           $$             ££$*«~,,,,
,,,,,~«*$£            *   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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