,,,^^^%%¤£ £¤%%^^^,,,
,^=^%¤¤£## ##£¤¤%^=^,
,^=^%¤£### ###£¤%^=^,
,,,,,^^%¤£ £¤%^^,,,,,
,,,^==%¤¤£ £¤¤%==^,,,
,,,,^=%%¤£ =========== £¤%%=^,,,,
,,,^^^%¤¤¤ %% %% ¤¤¤%^^^,,,
,^=^%¤¤£## ^ 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. ##£¤¤%^=^,
,,,,,,^^¤£ £¤^^,,,,,,
,^=^%¤¤£## ##£¤¤%^=^,
,^=^%¤¤£## ##£¤¤%^=^,
,^=^%¤¤£## ##£¤¤%^=^,
,,,^^^^%¤¤ ¤¤%^^^^,,,