@#£=«¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨«=£#@
@##*==««,¨ ¨,««==*##@
#@##£*=«,¨ ¨,«=*£##@#
#@##£*=«,¨ ¨,«=*£##@#
#@##£*=«,¨ ¨,«=*£##@#
#@##£*=«,¨ ««««««««««« ¨,«=*£##@#
#@##£*=«,¨ ** ** ¨,«=*£##@#
##***«««,¨ = 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. ¨,«=*£####
@##**=««,¨ ¨,««=**##@
#£*«,,,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,,,«*£#
#££=,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,=££#
@###£*=«,¨ ¨,«=*£###@
#@##£*=«,¨ ¨,«=*£##@#