£&§§:«~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~«:§§&£
@£&§§:«~¨¨                                          ¨¨~«:§§&£@
#@£&§§:«~¨                                          ¨~«:§§&£@#
@£&§§:«~¨¨                                          ¨¨~«:§§&£@
£&§§:«~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~«:§§&£
&§§:«~¨¨¨¨               «««««««««««                ¨¨¨¨~«:§§&
§§:«~¨¨¨¨¨              §§           §§             ¨¨¨¨¨~«:§§
§:«~¨¨¨¨¨¨            :   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.           ¨¨~«:§§&£@
#@£&§§:«~¨                                          ¨~«:§§&£@#
@£&§§:«~¨¨                                          ¨¨~«:§§&£@
£&§§:«~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~«:§§&£
&§§:«~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~«:§§&
§§:«~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~«:§§