@#$\^^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^^\$#@
@@##$†\=^¨                                          ¨^=\†$##@@
@@##$†\=^¨                                          ¨^=\†$##@@
#@##$†\=^¨                                          ¨^=\†$##@#
@@##$†\=^¨                                          ¨^=\†$##@@
##@##$†=^¨               ===========                ¨^=†$##@##
####$†\=^¨             ††           ††              ¨^=\†$####
#$†=^¨¨¨¨¨             \   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.           ¨¨¨^=\\†$#
##$\=^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^=\$##
##†\\^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^\\†##
##$$\\==^¨                                          ¨^==\\$$##
##@#$†\=^¨                                          ¨^=\†$#@##
#@##$†\=^¨                                          ¨^=\†$##@#