###&$§†-~.                                          .~-†§$&###
&$†~......                                          ......~†$&
###&$§†-~.                                          .~-†§$&###
###&$§†-~.                                          .~-†§$&###
###&$§†-~.                                          .~-†§$&###
##$††~....                -----------               ....~††$##
###&$§†-~.              §§           §§             .~-†§$&###
&&§--~~~..            †   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.           .....--§&#
#&&§-~....                                          ....~-§&&#
##&$§†--~.                                          .~--†§$&##
#$§§§§†-~.                                          .~-†§§§§$#
#&§††~~~..                                          ..~~~††§&#
#&$$§-....                                          ....-§$$&#