§§¨§¨§§¨¨§                                          §¨§§¨§§¨§¨
§§¨¨¨§§§¨§                                          ¨¨§§¨§§¨¨¨
§§§¨¨§¨§¨¨                                          ¨¨§§¨§§§¨¨
§¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨§§¨§¨§§¨
¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨§§¨¨¨§§¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨               ===========                §¨§§§¨¨§§§
§¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨              **           **             ¨¨§¨§§¨§¨§
§§¨¨§¨§§¨¨             ;   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.           §¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨§
§¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨§§§¨¨                                          §¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨§¨§§¨                                          §§¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨§§§                                          ¨§§¨¨¨§§§¨