##,##,#,,#                                          #,#,##,,,#
,##,###,#,                                          ####,#,,#,
#,##,,###,                                          ,,,###,##,
##,#,#,,#,                                          ,,#,,##,##
,#####,###                                          ,##,#,##,,
#,,,,##,,,                -----------               #,####,#,,
#,,,#,#,,#              §§           §§             ##,,,###,#
#,,####,#,            :   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.           ,#,##,,,#,
##,#,,,#,#                                          ###,#,,###
,###,,###,                                          ,,###,#,,,
#,,#,#,,##                                          ,#,,###,,,
#,####,#,,                                          ##,#,,#,,#
##,,,###,#                                          ,###,##,#,