§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          §§¨¨¨¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨                                          §§§¨¨¨¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          §¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨§¨                »»»»»»»»»»»               §¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨§             ==           ==              §§¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨            \   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.           §¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§                                          ¨¨§§§¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨