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##£§%^:«,, : BLUE FIRE : ,,«:^%§£##
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##£§%^:«,, 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). ,,«:^%§£##
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##£§%^:«,, 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. ,,«:^%§£##
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##£§%^:«,, 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. ,,,,,,:^§#
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##£§%^:«,, :^^«««««^^: ,,«:^%§£##
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##£§%^:«,, 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. ,,«:^%§§§#
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##£§%^:«,, 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. ,,«:^%§£##
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##£§%^:«,, PROCREATION CAN HAPPEN SEXUALLY VIA ,,«:^%§£##
§%:«,,,,,, SPORES (CRYPTOGAMIA) OR ASEXUALLY WHEN ,,,,,,«:%§
#£§^:«,,,, THE ROOTS ARE CUT, DIVIDING AN ,,,,«:^§£#
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