%=-~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~-=%
=-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-=
-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ----------- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ %% %% ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ = 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨