¨¨.~†%¤£@#                                          #@£¤%†~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~†%¤£@                                          @£¤%†~.¨¨¨
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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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