¨¨¨§§¨¨¨§§                                          §§¨§§¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨§§§¨¨§§                                          §§¨§§§¨¨¨§
§¨¨§¨§§¨§§                                          §§¨§¨§§¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨§§¨§¨                                          §§¨¨¨§§§¨¨
¨¨§¨¨§§¨¨¨                                          §§§¨¨§¨§§¨
¨¨¨§¨§§§¨¨                ===========               §¨§§¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨             %%           %%              ¨¨§§§¨¨§¨§
§§¨¨¨¨¨§§§            †   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.           ¨¨¨§§§¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨§¨§§¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨¨§§§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨§¨§                                          §¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨§                                          §§¨¨¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨¨§§§¨¨§                                          ¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨§