,,,,,-/$#¶                                          ¶#$/-,,,,,
,,^^/**##¶                                          ¶##**/^^,,
,,,,,^--*#                                          #*--^,,,,,
,^-/*$#¶##                                          ##¶#$*/-^,
,^-/*$#¶##                                          ##¶#$*/-^,
,^-/*$#¶##               -----------                ##¶#$*/-^,
,^-/*$#¶##              **           **             ##¶#$*/-^,
,^-/*$##¶¶            /   Blue Fire   /             ¶¶##$*/-^,
,^-/*$#¶¶#              **           **             #¶¶#$*/-^,
,^-/*$#¶##               -----------                ##¶#$*/-^,
,^-/***$##                                          ##$***/-^,
,,,^^/*$$¶  The ,Blue fire, Is A Carnivorous Plant  ¶$$*/^^,,,
,,,,^^-*##  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      ###¶#*/-^,
,^-/*$#¶##           Individual Into Two.           ##¶#$*/-^,
,^-/*$#¶##                                          ##¶#$*/-^,
,^-/*$#¶##                                          ##¶#$*/-^,
,^-/*$#¶##                                          ##¶#$*/-^,
,^-/*$#¶##                                          ##¶#$*/-^,
,,,,,-/$##                                          ##$/-,,,,,