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¨¨~~^*£§£# ~~~~~~~~~~~ #£§£*^~~¨¨
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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). £§£*^~~¨¨¨
¨¨~~^*£§£# #£§£*^~~¨¨
¨~~^*£§£## 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. #£§£*^~~¨¨
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