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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. $†^«.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.«^†$§ §$†^«.¨¨¨¨
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¨¨.«^†$§£# #£§$†^«.¨¨
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