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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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