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.,=**£££@#               ===========                #@£££**=,.
.,=**£££££              **           **             £££££**=,.
.,=**£££@#             *   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.           #@£££**=,.
.,=**£££@#                                          #@£££**=,.
.,=**£££@#                                          #@£££**=,.
.,=**£££@@                                          @@£££**=,.
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