¨.~*%$££@#                                          #@££$%*~.¨
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¨.~*%$££##                                          ##££$%*~.¨
¨¨¨¨¨~**$£                                          £$**~¨¨¨¨¨
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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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