§¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨                                          §§¨¨§¨¨§¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨§§¨¨§¨¨§¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨§§§¨¨§¨¨§
§¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨§§¨¨§¨¨
¨§¨¨§¨§§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§§§¨¨§¨
¨¨§¨¨¨§§§¨               -----------                ¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨§
§¨¨§¨¨§¨§§              ††           ††             ¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨
¨§¨¨§¨¨¨§§             *   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.           §¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨§¨                                          §¨¨§¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨§                                          ¨§¨¨§¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨§¨¨§¨