#%:=---¨¨¨ ¨¨¨---=:%#
##%^:--¨¨¨ ¨¨¨--:^%##
###^=¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨=^###
###@%^:=-¨ ¨-=:^%@###
###%%^:=-¨ ¨-=:^%%###
@#^=¨¨¨¨¨¨ =========== ¨¨¨¨¨¨=^#@
@@%%%^:=-¨ ^^ ^^ ¨-=:^%%%@@
#@%:-¨¨¨¨¨ : 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. ¨-=:^%#@##
###@#%^:=- -=:^%#@###
@#^:=-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-=:^#@
#^^===¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨===^^#
##@#%^:=-¨ ¨-=:^%#@##
@@%%%^:=-¨ ¨-=:^%%%@@