¨-~^=§§§£¶                                          ¶£§§§=^~-¨
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¨-~^=§£¶@#                                          #@¶£§=^~-¨
¨-~^=§£¶@#                                          #@¶£§=^~-¨
¨-~^=§§§£@                ~~~~~~~~~~~               @£§§§=^~-¨
¨-~^§£¶@##             ==           ==              ##@¶£§^~-¨
¨-~^=§££¶¶             ^   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.           £§^^^~-¨¨¨
¨-~^=§£¶@@                                          @@¶£§=^~-¨
¨-~^=§£@##                                          ##@£§=^~-¨
¨-~^=§£¶@#                                          #@¶£§=^~-¨
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