##@§&†=~.,                                          ,.~=†&§@##
§&=~..,,,,                                          ,,,,..~=&§
###@§&†=~.                                          .~=†&§@###
@§&===...,                                          ,...===&§@
#@§§&†=~.,                                          ,.~=†&§§@#
@&††~..,,,               ~~~~~~~~~~~                ,,,..~††&@
##@§&†=~.,              ††           ††             ,.~=†&§@##
###@§&†=~.             =   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.           ,,,,.~†&§§
§§&&=~~~.,                                          ,.~~~=&&§§
###@&†=~.,                                          ,.~=†&@###
##@§&†=~.,                                          ,.~=†&§@##
##@§&†=~.,                                          ,.~=†&§@##
§††=~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~=††§