##@¶*^†«^¨ ¨^«†^*¶@##
#@¶*^†«^¨¨ ¨¨^«†^*¶@#
@¶*^†«^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^«†^*¶@
¶*^†«^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^«†^*¶
*^†«^¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨^«†^*
^†«^¨¨¨¨¨¨ ««««««««««« ¨¨¨¨¨¨^«†^
†«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ^^ ^^ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«†
«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ † 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨^«†^
*^†«^¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨^«†^*
¶*^†«^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^«†^*¶
@¶*^†«^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^«†^*¶@
#@¶*^†«^¨¨ ¨¨^«†^*¶@#
##@¶*^†«^¨ ¨^«†^*¶@##