*=»,¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨,»=*
=»,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,»=
»,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,»
=»,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,»=
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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. ¨¨¨¨¨,»=*£
*=»,¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨,»=*
=»,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,»=
»,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,»
=»,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,»=
*=»,¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨,»=*