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¨£¨¨¨£¨££¨  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).           ¨£¨¨¨¨¨¨£¨
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£¨¨£¨¨£¨¨¨      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.                 ¨¨¨£¨¨¨£££
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££¨¨£¨¨¨¨¨  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. £¨¨¨¨£¨¨¨¨
¨¨£¨¨£¨££¨                                          ¨£¨¨¨¨£¨¨¨
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¨¨¨¨£¨¨£¨£                                          ¨¨¨£¨¨¨¨£¨
¨¨¨¨¨£¨¨¨£  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.           £¨¨¨£¨££¨¨
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