¨¨--;*§§@# #@§§*;--¨¨
¨--;*§§@## ##@§§*;--¨
¨¨--;*§§@# #@§§*;--¨¨
¨¨¨--;*§§@ @§§*;--¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨--;*§§ §§*;--¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨--;*§ ----------- §*;--¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨--;*§§ ** ** §§*;--¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨--;*§§@ ; 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. @§§*;--¨¨¨
¨¨--;*§§@# #@§§*;--¨¨
¨--;*§§@## ##@§§*;--¨
¨¨--;*§§@# #@§§*;--¨¨
¨¨¨--;*§§@ @§§*;--¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨--;*§§ §§*;--¨¨¨¨