#@¶£%%*=~¨                                          ¨~=*%%£¶@#
##¶£%%*=~¨                                          ¨~=*%%£¶##
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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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£%==¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨==%£