§¨§§§§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨§§¨§
§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨
¨§¨¨§§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§§§¨§§
§§¨§¨§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨§§¨§
¨§§§§§¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨§§¨§¨§§¨
§¨¨¨¨§¨¨§§                «««««««««««               ¨§¨§§§§¨§¨
§¨¨¨§§¨§¨§             §§           §§              §§§¨¨¨§§§§
§¨¨§¨§§§§§            :   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.           ¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨
§¨§¨§¨§§§§                                          ¨¨§¨¨§¨¨¨¨
§§§§§§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨§§¨§§¨¨¨§
¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨§                                          §¨§§¨§¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨§§¨¨§¨                                          §§¨§§§¨§§¨
¨¨¨§¨§¨§§¨                                          ¨§§¨¨§§¨§¨