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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.           #@£££*/~:.
....~***££                                          ££***~....
.:~/*£££££                                          £££££*/~:.
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