&%==~~-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-~~==%&
##@&%$=~-¨ ¨-~=$%&@##
@@@&%$=~-¨ ¨-~=$%&@@@
##@&%$=~-¨ ¨-~=$%&@##
##@&%$=~-¨ ¨-~=$%&@##
###@&%$=~- ~~~~~~~~~~~ -~=$%&@###
&%=---¨¨¨¨ $$ $$ ¨¨¨¨---=%&
@&&&%$=~-¨ = Blue Fire = ¨-~=$%&&&@
##@&%$=~-¨ $$ $$ ¨-~=$%&@##
#@@&%$=~-¨ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ¨-~=$%&@@#
##@&%$=~-¨ ¨-~=$%&@##
###&%$=~-¨ 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, ¨¨¨¨¨~=%@@
###&%$=~-¨ But All Growth And Procreation Must ¨-~=$%##
@&&%%$=~-¨ Happen During The Two Weeks In June. ¨-~=$%%&&@
##@&%$=~-¨ ¨-~=$%&@##
##@&%$=~-¨ Now The Plant Feeds On Birds; The ¨-~=$%&@##
@@&$$=-¨¨¨ Semistiff Upright Feelers Looks Like An ¨¨¨-=$$&@@
##@&%$=~-¨ Extension Of The Sea, And Birds Are ¨-~=$%&@##
&%$$===~-¨ Tricked Into Landing Or Diving Into It. ¨-~===$$%&
##@&%$=~-¨ They Are Quickly Paralyzed By The ¨-~=$%&@##
&&$~-¨¨¨¨¨ Poison On The Purple Hairs, And ¨¨¨¨¨-~$&&
##@&%$=~-¨ Devoured Over A Period Of Hours. ¨-~=$%&@##
&%$=~~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~~=$%&
##@&%$=~-¨ Procreation Can Happen Sexually Via ¨-~=$%&@##
###@%$=~-¨ Spores (Cryptogamia) Or Asexually When ¨-~=$%@###
&$=~¨¨¨¨¨¨ The Roots Are Cut, Dividing An ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=$&
###@&$=~-¨ Individual Into Two. ¨-~=$&@###
&%%$=--¨¨¨ ¨¨¨--=$%%&
@@&%==-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-==%&@@
##@&%$=~-¨ ¨-~=$%&@##
@&%$$~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~$$%&@
##@&%$=~-¨ ¨-~=$%&@##