@=^^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^^=@
###¶@=^-^¨                                          ¨^-^=@¶###
@=-^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^-=@
@=^-¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨-^=@
#@=^-^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^-^=@#
##¶@&=^-^¨               -----------                ¨^-^=&@¶##
@&^---¨¨¨¨             ==           ==              ¨¨¨¨---^&@
##¶@&=^-^¨            ^   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.           ¨^-^=&@¶##
@@@&==^-^¨                                          ¨^-^==&@@@
###@&=^-^¨                                          ¨^-^=&@###
##¶@&=^-^¨                                          ¨^-^=&@¶##
##¶@&=^-^¨                                          ¨^-^=&@¶##
¶@&=^-¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨-^=&@¶