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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). £,,,,,,,££
,,,,,,££,, ££,,,,,,£,
,,,,,,£,£, 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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