#¨#¨#¨¨##¨                                          #¨¨#####¨#
¨#####¨#¨#                                          ##¨#¨¨¨¨##
##¨¨¨¨####                                          ¨¨###¨¨¨#¨
#¨#¨¨¨#¨¨¨                                          ¨¨#¨¨#¨¨##
¨###¨¨##¨¨                                          #¨##¨##¨#¨
¨#¨¨#¨#¨#¨               ~~~~~~~~~~~                ¨##¨##¨###
###¨######             **           **              ¨#¨##¨##¨¨
#¨¨##¨¨¨¨¨            †   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.           ¨#¨¨###¨#¨
¨##¨¨#¨¨#¨                                          ¨##¨#¨¨###
##¨#¨##¨##                                          ##¨###¨#¨¨
#¨####¨##¨                                          ¨¨##¨¨###¨
###¨¨¨##¨#                                          #¨#¨#¨#¨¨#
¨¨¨#¨¨#¨##                                          ¨#######¨#