....~=£§§¶                                          ¶§§£=~....
.~==*£§¶##                                          ##¶§£*==~.
.~==*£§§§§                                          §§§§£*==~.
.~==*£§¶##                                          ##¶§£*==~.
..~~===£¶¶                                          ¶¶£===~~..
..~==**§¶#                ===========               #¶§**==~..
.~==*£§¶##             **           **              ##¶§£*==~.
.~==*£§¶##            =   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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