$†=«^..... .....^«=†$
£$†=«^.... ....^«=†$£
#£$†=«^... ...^«=†$£#
##£$†=«^.. ..^«=†$£##
###£$†=«^. .^«=†$£###
##£$†=«^.. ««««««««««« ..^«=†$£##
#£$†=«^... †† †† ...^«=†$£#
£$†=«^.... = blue fire = ....^«=†$£
$†=«^..... †† †† .....^«=†$
†=«^...... ««««««««««« ......^«=†
=«^....... .......^«=
«^........ 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 ......^«=†
$†=«^..... the roots are cut, dividing an .....^«=†$
£$†=«^.... individual into two. ....^«=†$£
#£$†=«^... ...^«=†$£#
##£$†=«^.. ..^«=†$£##
###£$†=«^. .^«=†$£###
##£$†=«^.. ..^«=†$£##
#£$†=«^... ...^«=†$£#