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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  ##£§^^««:¨
¨:«^§$£### WHOLE ALVAR TO BE CONNECTED NORTH-SOUTH. ###£$§^«:¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨«§$£                                          £$§«¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨:«^§$£###               ^§§«««««§§^                ###£$§^«:¨
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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.     £§§§«¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨«^$£#                                          #£$^«¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨:^^^^§£   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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