¨§¨§¨§¨§¨¨                                          §¨§§¨§§¨¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          §¨¨§¨¨§¨§§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          §¨§§¨§§¨¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          §¨¨§¨¨§¨§§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          §¨§§¨§§¨¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                «««««««««««               §¨¨§¨¨§¨§§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§             ==           ==              §¨§§¨§§¨¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§            \   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.           §¨¨§¨¨§¨§§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          §¨§§¨§§¨¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          §¨¨§¨¨§¨§§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          §¨§§¨§§¨¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          §¨¨§¨¨§¨§§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          §¨§§¨§§¨¨§