.........,                                          ,.........
........,=                                          =,........
.......,=†                                          †=,.......
......,=†*                                          *†=,......
.....,=†*&                                          &*†=,.....
....,=†*&#                ===========               #&*†=,....
...,=†*&#£             **           **              £#&*†=,...
..,=†*&#£#            †   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.           =,........
.......,=†                                          †=,.......
......,=†*                                          *†=,......
.....,=†*&                                          &*†=,.....
....,=†*&#                                          #&*†=,....
...,=†*&#£                                          £#&*†=,...