......^~=$ $=~^......
.....^~=$£ £$=~^.....
....^~=$£& &£$=~^....
...^~=$£ #&£$=~^...
..^~=$£# ##&£$=~^..
.^~=$£## ~~~~~~~~~~~ ###&£$=~^.
..^~=$£# $$ $$ ##&£$=~^..
...^~=$£ = 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. £$=~^.....
....^~=$£& &£$=~^....
...^~=$£ #&£$=~^...
..^~=$£# ##&£$=~^..
.^~=$£## ###&£$=~^.
..^~=$£# ##&£$=~^..