¨¨§¨¨§§§¨¨                                          ¨§§§§§¨§§¨
¨¨§§¨§¨¨§¨                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨§§¨§
§¨§¨§§§¨§§                                          ¨§§¨¨¨§¨§§
¨§§§§¨¨§§¨                                          ¨§¨§¨¨§§§¨
¨§¨¨¨§¨§¨§                                          ¨§§§§¨§¨¨§
§§§¨¨§§§§§                -----------               §§¨¨¨§§§¨§
¨¨¨§¨§¨¨¨¨             %%           %%              ¨¨§¨¨§¨¨§§
§¨¨§§§§¨¨¨             :   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.           ¨§§§¨§¨§¨¨
§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨§¨¨§§§§§¨
§§¨§§¨¨¨¨§                                          §§§¨§¨¨¨¨§
¨¨§§¨§¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨§
§¨§¨§§§¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨§
¨§§§§¨¨§¨§                                          §¨¨§§¨§§¨§