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##@££%/«,¨                                          ¨,«/%££@##
#@££%/««,¨                                          ¨,««/%££@#
##@££%/«,¨                                          ¨,«/%££@##
###@££%/«,                «««««««««««               ,«/%££@###
##@££%/«,¨             %%           %%              ¨,«/%££@##
##@££%/«,¨            /   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.           ¨¨¨¨¨¨«%£@
##@££%/«,¨                                          ¨,«/%££@##
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