¶¶#*:::=,, ,,=:::*#¶¶
####*^:=,, ,,=:^*####
####*^:=,, ,,=:^*####
#¶¶#*^:=,, ,,=:^*#¶¶#
#¶*^^=,,,, ,,,,=^^*¶#
####*^:=,, =========== ,,=:^*####
##*^=,,,,, ^^ ^^ ,,,,,=^*##
##**::==,, : 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. ,,,===:*¶#
##¶#*^:=,, ,,=:^*#¶##
¶##^^:,,,, ,,,,:^^##¶
##¶#*^:=,, ,,=:^*#¶##
##¶#*^:=,, ,,=:^*#¶##
####*^:=,, ,,=:^*####