####%§/~^¨                                          ¨^~/§%####
###%§/~^¨¨                                          ¨¨^~/§%###
##%§/~^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^~/§%##
#%§/~^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^~/§%#
##%§/~^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^~/§%##
###%§/~^¨¨               ~~~~~~~~~~~                ¨¨^~/§%###
####%§/~^¨             §§           §§              ¨^~/§%####
###%§/~^¨¨             /   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.           ¨¨^~/§%###
##%§/~^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^~/§%##
#%§/~^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^~/§%#
##%§/~^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^~/§%##
###%§/~^¨¨                                          ¨¨^~/§%###
####%§/~^¨                                          ¨^~/§%####