#*==»»¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨»»==*#
#§==††^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^††==§#
##@§*=†»^¨                                          ¨^»†=*§@##
§=»¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨»=§
##@#§*=†^¨                                          ¨^†=*§#@##
§=†»¨¨¨¨¨¨               »»»»»»»»»»»                ¨¨¨¨¨¨»†=§
@@#§*=†»^¨             ==           ==              ¨^»†=*§#@@
#**==††»^¨             †   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.           ¨¨¨»»»†=*#
#@#§*=†»^¨                                          ¨^»†=*§#@#
§**††^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^††**§
#@#§*=†»^¨                                          ¨^»†=*§#@#
##@#§=†»^¨                                          ¨^»†=§#@##
#@#§*=†»^¨                                          ¨^»†=*§#@#