¨¨¨¨,^^%&& &&%^^,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,^%& #&&%^,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~%%$ #&$%%~¨¨¨¨
¨,~^%$&@## ##@&$%^~,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~%& &%~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,~^%$&@## ~~~~~~~~~~~ ##@&$%^~,¨
¨,~^%$$$@@ %% %% @@$$$%^~,¨
¨,~^^%%%%& ^ 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. &%~,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,~^%$&@## ##@&$%^~,¨
¨,~^%$&@## ##@&$%^~,¨
¨,~^%$&@## ##@&$%^~,¨
¨,~^%%$&@@ @@&$%%^~,¨
¨¨¨¨,~~%%& &%%~~,¨¨¨¨