,,,,,^--†¤                                          ¤†--^,,,,,
,^-=†$$$##                                          ##$$$†=-^,
,^-=†$¤###                                          ###¤$†=-^,
,^-=†$$$$¤                                          ¤$$$$†=-^,
,^-=†$¤#@#                                          #@#¤$†=-^,
,,,--†$¤#@                -----------               @#¤$†--,,,
,^-==†$¤#@              ††           ††             @#¤$†==-^,
,,,,,^=†$¤            =   blue fire   =             ¤$†=^,,,,,
,,,^--†$¤@              ††           ††             @¤$†--^,,,
,,,^-=††¤@               -----------                @¤††=-^,,,
,,,^==†¤#@                                          @#¤†==^,,,
,^-=†$¤#@#  the ,blue fire, is a carnivorous plant  #@#¤$†=-^,
,^-=†$¤#@@  living mostly at the western alvar (but @@#¤$†=-^,
,,,,,^-=$¤   it has spread to a few other places,   ¤$=-^,,,,,
,,,,^--†¤¤           mostly rocky coasts).          ¤¤†--^,,,,
,^-=†$$$$¤                                          ¤$$$$†=-^,
,^-=†$¤###      the plant is a dense network of     ###¤$†=-^,
,^-=†$¤##@  green-brown tentacle-like roots, which  @##¤$†=-^,
,,,,,,-††¤   is often called "rat's tail" before    ¤††-,,,,,,
,,,,,,^=†¤    blooming. in late june, it quickly    ¤†=^,,,,,,
,,,,,^==$¤      sprouts feelers, ten to thirty      ¤$==^,,,,,
,^-=†$¤###   centimeters high, filled with purple   ###¤$†=-^,
,^-=†$¤#@#   hairs - this is the blue fire. this    #@#¤$†=-^,
,,,^^^=††¤    stage lasts for one or two weeks,     ¤††=^^^,,,
,,,,^==$¤#     depending on food access, water,     #¤$==^,,,,
,,,,^==††¤                 climate.                 ¤††==^,,,,
,^-=†$¤#@#                                          #@#¤$†=-^,
,^-=†$#@##  often it's not clear how far the plant  ##@#$†=-^,
,,^^^^=†¤@     has spread unless its in the fire    @¤†=^^^^,,
,^---==††¤ stage. suddenly, as if overnight, whole  ¤††==---^,
,^-=†$¤#@#  fields can be turned ablaze (with the   #@#¤$†=-^,
,^-=†$¤¤¤¤ same individual plant, as well)! in the  ¤¤¤¤$†=-^,
,^-=†$¤#@# blooming peak, it's not unusual for the  #@#¤$†=-^,
,^-=†††¤¤¤ whole alvar to be connected north-south. ¤¤¤†††=-^,
,,,,,^--†¤                                          ¤†--^,,,,,
,,,,,,,-†¤               =††-----††=                ¤†-,,,,,,,
,,^---†$$¤                                          ¤$$†---^,,
,^-=†$¤#@#   fifty weeks of the year, while in rat  #@#¤$†=-^,
,,,,,^^=$¤  stage, the blue fire feeds on the stone ¤$=^^,,,,,
,,,^=†$$$#   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    ¤$$$†=^,,,
,^-=†$¤### tricked into landing or diving into it.  ###¤$†=-^,
,,,,,-=†$¤    they are quickly paralyzed by the     ¤$†=-,,,,,
,,^^^^=$#@     poison on the purple hairs, and      @#$=^^^^,,
,^-=†$¤#@#     devoured over a period of hours.     #@#¤$†=-^,
,,,,,,-†¤¤                                          ¤¤†-,,,,,,
,,,,,,-=$#   procreation can happen sexually via    #$=-,,,,,,
,,,,^=†¤¤¤  spores (cryptogamia) or asexually when  ¤¤¤†=^,,,,
,,,,,^--†¤      the roots are cut, dividing an      ¤†--^,,,,,
,^-=†$¤#@@           individual into two.           @@#¤$†=-^,
,^-=†$¤#@#                                          #@#¤$†=-^,
,,,,--=$$¤                                          ¤$$=--,,,,
,^-=†$¤#@#                                          #@#¤$†=-^,
,,^-===††¤                                          ¤††===-^,,
,^-====†$¤                                          ¤$†====-^,