¨¨¨~»»*$$§ §$$*»»~¨¨¨
¨¨¨~***$§¶ ¶§$***~¨¨¨
¨~»**=$§¶# #¶§$=**»~¨
¨~»*=$§¶## ##¶§$=*»~¨
¨~»*=$§¶## ##¶§$=*»~¨
¨~»*=$§### »»»»»»»»»»» ###§$=*»~¨
¨¨¨¨»=$$¶¶ == == ¶¶$$=»¨¨¨¨
¨~»*=$§¶¶# * Blue Fire * #¶¶§$=*»~¨
¨~»*=$§¶## == == ##¶§$=*»~¨
¨~*=$§¶### »»»»»»»»»»» ###¶§$=*~¨
¨~~~**=$$§ §$$=**~~~¨
¨¨¨¨»**==§ 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. ¶§§===*»~¨
¨¨¨¨~~*$§# They Are Quickly Paralyzed By The #§$*~~¨¨¨¨
¨~»*=$§¶¶# Poison On The Purple Hairs, And #¶¶§$=*»~¨
¨~»*=$§§¶# Devoured Over A Period Of Hours. #¶§§$=*»~¨
¨~»*=$§¶## ##¶§$=*»~¨
¨~»*=$§¶## Procreation Can Happen Sexually Via ##¶§$=*»~¨
¨¨¨~~**=$§ Spores (Cryptogamia) Or Asexually When §$=**~~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨»»*$§ The Roots Are Cut, Dividing An §$*»»¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~»=$$§¶ Individual Into Two. ¶§$$=»~¨¨¨
¨~»***=$§¶ ¶§$=***»~¨
¨~»***$$¶¶ ¶¶$$***»~¨
¨~»*=$§### ###§$=*»~¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~*=§ §=*~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨~»*=$§¶## ##¶§$=*»~¨