##@&$$†«^¨                                          ¨^«†$$&@##
&$$$$«^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^«$$$$&
&$$††^^^¨¨                                          ¨¨^^^††$$&
##@&$$†«^¨                                          ¨^«†$$&@##
##@&$$†«^¨                                          ¨^«†$$&@##
@&$†††^¨¨¨               «««««««««««                ¨¨¨^†††$&@
##@&$$†«^¨             $$           $$              ¨^«†$$&@##
@&&&$$†«^¨            †   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      ¨^«†$$&###
@&$$$$†«^¨           Individual Into Two.           ¨^«†$$$$&@
##@&$$†«^¨                                          ¨^«†$$&@##
@&$«««^^¨¨                                          ¨¨^^«««$&@
##@&$$†«^¨                                          ¨^«†$$&@##
##@&$$†«^¨                                          ¨^«†$$&@##
###&$$†«^¨                                          ¨^«†$$&###