¨¨^~/*%£##                                          ##£%*/~^¨¨
¨^~/*%£###                                          ###£%*/~^¨
¨¨^~/*%£##                                          ##£%*/~^¨¨
¨¨¨^~/*%£#                                          #£%*/~^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^~/*%£                                          £%*/~^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^~/*%£#                ~~~~~~~~~~~               #£%*/~^¨¨¨
¨¨^~/*%£##             **           **              ##£%*/~^¨¨
¨^~/*%£###            /   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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