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###§*%*«^, * BLUE FIRE * ,^«*%*§###
###§*%*«^, %% %% ,^«*%*§###
####§%*«^, ««««««««««« ,^«*%§####
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###§*%*«^, 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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