¨¨¨~=**%§# #§%**=~¨¨¨
¨¨~=**%§## ##§%**=~¨¨
¨~=**%§### ###§%**=~¨
¨¨~=**%§## ##§%**=~¨¨
¨¨¨~=**%§# #§%**=~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~=**%§ =========== §%**=~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~=**% ** ** %**=~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~=** * 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. **=~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=* *=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~=** **=~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~=**% %**=~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~=**%§ §%**=~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~=**%§# #§%**=~¨¨¨