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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. ¨-»^*£&&&&
##£&£*^»-¨ ¨-»^*£&£##
&&*^-¨¨¨¨¨ 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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