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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.                 £$†~-.....
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.......-~†  OFTEN IT'S NOT CLEAR HOW FAR THE PLANT  †~-.......
......-~†$     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. ###££$†~-.
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...-~†$££#                †$$~~~~~$$†               #££$†~-...
....-~†$££                                          ££$†~-....
.....-~†$£  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.     $†~-......
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......-~†$    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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