,,,,^^»\$# #$\»^^,,,,
,^»\*$#### ####$*\»^,
,,,,^\\\$# #$\\\^,,,,
,^»\*$## ###&$*\»^,
,^»\**$$$# #$$$**\»^,
,,,,^\$$ »»»»»»»»»»» #&$$\^,,,,
,^»\*$## ** ** ###&$*\»^,
,^»\*$&& \ Blue Fire \ #&&&$*\»^,
,,,,,,»*$# ** ** #$*»,,,,,,
,^»\*$## »»»»»»»»»»» ###&$*\»^,
,^»\*$## ###&$*\»^,
,^»\*$#### The ,Blue fire, Is A Carnivorous Plant ####$*\»^,
,^»\*$## Living Mostly At The Western Alvar (But ###&$*\»^,
,^»\$### It Has Spread To A Few Other Places, ####&$\»^,
,,,»\\*$## Mostly Rocky Coasts). ##$*\\»,,,
,,,^»»\$$& &$$\»»^,,,
,^»\*$$# The Plant Is A Dense Network Of ##&$$*\»^,
,,^^»»»**& 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. ###&$*\»^,
,^»\*$## ###&$*\»^,
,^»\\*$$$& &$$$*\\»^,
,^»\*$## ###&$*\»^,
,^»\*$## ###&$*\»^,
,,,,,,,»*& &*»,,,,,,,