¨¨¨¨¨¨,~^% %^~,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,~^%$ $%^~,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~^%$§ §$%^~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,~^%$§@ @§$%^~,¨¨¨
¨¨,~^%$§@# #@§$%^~,¨¨
¨,~^%$§@## ~~~~~~~~~~~ ##@§$%^~,¨
¨¨,~^%$§@# %% %% #@§$%^~,¨¨
¨¨¨,~^%$§@ ^ 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. @§$%^~,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~^%$§ §$%^~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,~^%$ $%^~,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,~^% %^~,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~^ ^~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,~^% %^~,¨¨¨¨¨¨