....-†$¤¶#                                          #¶¤$†-....
.--†$¤¤¶##                                          ##¶¤¤$†--.
.--†$¤¤###                                          ###¤¤$†--.
.--†$¤¤¤¤¶                                          ¶¤¤¤¤$†--.
.....-$¤¤¤                                          ¤¤¤$-.....
.....--†$¤                -----------               ¤$†--.....
.--†$¤¤¶##              $$           $$             ##¶¤¤$†--.
.--†$¤¤¶##            †   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      #¶¤$$$†--.
.--†$¤¤¤¶#           individual into two.           #¶¤¤¤$†--.
.--†$¤¤¶##                                          ##¶¤¤$†--.
.--†$¤¤¶##                                          ##¶¤¤$†--.
.--†$¤¤¤¶#                                          #¶¤¤¤$†--.
.--†$¤¤¶##                                          ##¶¤¤$†--.
.....-†¤¶¶                                          ¶¶¤†-.....