£#£^=~.... ....~=^£#£
@£#£^=~... ...~=^£#£@
#@£#£^=~.. ..~=^£#£@#
##@£#£^=~. .~=^£#£@##
#@£#£^=~.. ..~=^£#£@#
@£#£^=~... =========== ...~=^£#£@
£#£^=~.... ^^ ^^ ....~=^£#£
#£^=~..... = 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. .....~=^£#
£#£^=~.... ....~=^£#£
@£#£^=~... ...~=^£#£@
#@£#£^=~.. ..~=^£#£@#
##@£#£^=~. .~=^£#£@##
#@£#£^=~.. ..~=^£#£@#