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£¨¨¨£¨¨£¨¨  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).           ¨¨¨£¨££¨¨¨
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¨¨¨¨¨£¨¨¨£      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. £££¨¨¨¨£££
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¨££¨¨£¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨£¨££¨¨¨£
¨£££¨¨£¨¨¨   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.   ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨£¨
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£¨££¨¨¨£¨£     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.     £¨¨¨£¨¨¨¨¨
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¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨£¨   procreation can happen sexually via    £££¨¨¨£¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨  spores (cryptogamia) or asexually when  £¨££¨¨¨£¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨      the roots are cut, dividing an      ¨¨£££¨¨¨£¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨           individual into two.           ¨¨£¨££¨¨¨£
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