#@#§$*^«.,                                          ,.«^*$§#@#
@§**««««.,                                          ,.««««**§@
#§**«.,,,,                                          ,,,,.«**§#
@§*^«,,,,,                                          ,,,,,«^*§@
#@#§$*^«.,                                          ,.«^*$§#@#
#@#§$*^«.,               «««««««««««                ,.«^*$§#@#
§§***«,,,,              **           **             ,,,,«***§§
##@#§*^«.,            ^   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  ,.«^**$$##
##@#§$^«.,      the roots are cut, dividing an      ,.«^$§#@##
@§§§$*^«.,           individual into two.           ,.«^*$§§§@
#@#§$*^«.,                                          ,.«^*$§#@#
§§**«,,,,,                                          ,,,,,«**§§
#@#§$*^«.,                                          ,.«^*$§#@#
#$*«,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,«*$#
§§$$^..,,,                                          ,,,..^$$§§