,&&,&,,&,, ,,&&,,&,&,
&,&&&,&&,& ,&,&,&&&&,
&&,,&&,&&& &&&&&,,,&&
,&,&,&&,,, ,,,,&,,&,,
&&&&&,&,,, ,,,&&,&&,,
,,,,&&&,,& ~~~~~~~~~~~ ,,&,&&,&,&
,,,&,,&,&& %% %% ,&&&,&&&&&
,,&&,&&&,& / 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. &,,,&,&,&&
&,,&&&&,,& &,,&&&&&,&
&,&,,,&,&& &,&,,,,&&,
&&&,,&&&,, &&&,,,&,&&
,,&,&,,&,, ,,&,,&&&,,
,&&&&,&&,& ,&&,&,,&,,