#£££%†/«^¨                                          ¨^«/†%£££#
@#%†///«^¨                                          ¨^«///†%#@
#@#£%†/«^¨                                          ¨^«/†%£#@#
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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.           ¨^«/†%£#@#
£%%%%†/«^¨                                          ¨^«/†%%%%£
£†«¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨«†£
#%/«^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^«/%#
£†/«^^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^^«/†£
##£%//«^¨¨                                          ¨¨^«//%£##