¨-~^%£§@## ##@§£%^~-¨
¨¨¨¨--~%£§ §£%~--¨¨¨¨
¨-~^%£§### ###§£%^~-¨
¨-~^%£§@## ##@§£%^~-¨
¨-~^%£§@## ##@§£%^~-¨
¨-~^%£§@## ~~~~~~~~~~~ ##@§£%^~-¨
¨-~^%£§§@@ %% %% @@§§£%^~-¨
¨-~^%£§@## ^ 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. ##@§£%^~-¨
¨-~^%£§@## ##@§£%^~-¨
¨---~%£§§@ @§§£%~---¨
¨-~^%£§@## ##@§£%^~-¨
¨¨¨-^^%§§# #§§%^^-¨¨¨
¨¨¨-^^%%£@ @£%%^^-¨¨¨