,#####,,#,                                          ##,####,,,
#,,,,#,###                                          ,##,,,#,,,
#,,,###,,#                                          #,#,,##,,#
#,,#,,#,##                                          ###,#,#,#,
#,##,###,,                                          ,,########
##,##,,#,,                ~~~~~~~~~~~               ,#,,,,,,,,
,##,#,##,,             ^^           ^^              ##,,,,,,,#
#,####,#,#            ;   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.           ,,,##,##,#
,,#,#####,                                          ,,#,##,##,
,###,,,,##                                          ,###,##,#,
#,,#,,,#,,                                          #,,##,###,
#,##,,##,#                                          #,#,##,,##
##,#,#,##,                                          ####,#,#,,