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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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