###@§@%=»¨ ¨»=%@§@###
@@@§@%=».¨ ¨.»=%@§@@@
#@@§@%=».¨ ¨.»=%@§@@#
##@§@%=».¨ ¨.»=%@§@##
§§%»¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨»%§§
#§§%»¨¨¨¨¨ »»»»»»»»»»» ¨¨¨¨¨»%§§#
##@§@%=».¨ %% %% ¨.»=%@§@##
@@@===»¨¨¨ = 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. ¨¨¨¨¨.»%%§
##@§@%=».¨ ¨.»=%@§@##
##@§@%=».¨ ¨.»=%@§@##
##@§@%=».¨ ¨.»=%@§@##
@§%==..¨¨¨ ¨¨¨..==%§@
###@@%=».¨ ¨.»=%@@###