,,~;%&§¶##                                          ##¶§&%;~,,
,,~;%&§¶##                                          ##¶§&%;~,,
,~;%&§¶###                                          ###¶§&%;~,
,,~;%&§¶##                                          ##¶§&%;~,,
,,,,,,;;&¶                                          ¶&;;,,,,,,
,,~;%&§¶##                ~~~~~~~~~~~               ##¶§&%;~,,
,,~;%&§¶##             %%           %%              ##¶§&%;~,,
,,~;%&§¶##             ;   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.           #¶¶§&%;~,,
,,~;%&§¶¶#                                          #¶¶§&%;~,,
,,,,~;;&§¶                                          ¶§&;;~,,,,
,,~;%&§¶##                                          ##¶§&%;~,,
,,~;%%%%%§                                          §%%%%%;~,,
,,~;%&§###                                          ###§&%;~,,