¨¨¨.~^§£#@                                          @#£§^~.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~^§£#                                          #£§^~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.~^§£#@                                          @#£§^~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~^§£#@#                                          #@#£§^~.¨¨
¨.~^§£#@##                                          ##@#£§^~.¨
¨¨.~^§£#@#                ~~~~~~~~~~~               #@#£§^~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~^§£#@             $$           $$              @#£§^~.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~^§£#            ^   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.           #£§^~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.~^§£#@                                          @#£§^~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~^§£#@#                                          #@#£§^~.¨¨
¨.~^§£#@##                                          ##@#£§^~.¨
¨¨.~^§£#@#                                          #@#£§^~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~^§£#@                                          @#£§^~.¨¨¨