,,~*=%&¶## ##¶&%=*~,,
,,~*=%&¶## ##¶&%=*~,,
,,,,,,,*%¶ ¶%*,,,,,,,
,,~*==%& #&&%==*~,,
,,,,**%%&& &&%%**,,,,
,,~*=%&¶## ~~~~~~~~~~~ ##¶&%=*~,,
,,,,~*=&&¶ == == ¶&&=*~,,,,
,,~*=%¶### * 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. ##¶&%=*~,,
,,,,,*=%¶¶ ¶¶%=*,,,,,
,,,,,,*%¶# #¶%*,,,,,,
,,,,,~=&&& &&&=~,,,,,
,,~*=%&¶## ##¶&%=*~,,
,,,,,,,*=& &=*,,,,,,,