¨§§§¨§§§¨§                                          §¨¨§¨§§¨§§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨¨                                          §§¨¨¨§§¨§§
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨§§¨¨§§¨§§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨§§§¨§§¨§§
§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨§¨§§¨§¨
§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                ===========               ¨¨¨¨¨§§¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨             ==           ==              ¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨            ^   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.           §¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§
§¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨                                          §§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨§§§¨¨                                          §§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨§¨§§¨                                          §¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨§§§                                          ¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨§                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨