##££§$\~:.                                          .:~\$§££##
###£§$\~:.                                          .:~\$§£###
#£$$\:....                                          ....:\$$£#
#§$~......                                          ......~$§#
#£§$~~~...                                          ...~~~$§£#
##§$~.....               ~~~~~~~~~~~                .....~$§##
###£§$\~:.             $$           $$              .:~\$§£###
###£§$\~:.            \   blue fire   \             .:~\$§£###
###£§$\~:.             $$           $$              .:~\$§£###
##££§$\~:.               ~~~~~~~~~~~                .:~\$§££##
#£$$~~:...                                          ...:~~$$£#
###£§$\~:.  the .blue fire. is a carnivorous plant  .:~\$§£###
###£§$\~:.  living mostly at the western alvar (but .:~\$§£###
###£§$\~:.   it has spread to a few other places,   .:~\$§£###
###£§$\~:.           mostly rocky coasts).          .:~\$§£###
£$$\~~....                                          ....~~\$$£
##££§$\~:.      the plant is a dense network of     .:~\$§££##
#§§§\~:...  green-brown tentacle-like roots, which  ...:~\§§§#
###£§$\~:.    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  ....:\§£££
##££§$\~:. whole alvar to be connected north-south. .:~\$§££##
£§$~......                                          ......~$§£
£§§§$\::..               \$$~~~~~$$\                ..::\$§§§£
££$~~~....                                          ....~~~$££
###£§$\~:.   fifty weeks of the year, while in rat  .:~\$§£###
##£§§$\~:. stage, the blue fire feeds on the stone  .:~\$§§£##
£$~::.....   itself via a slow chemical attrition.  .....::~$£
###£§$\~:.  this is enough to keep the roots alive, .:~\$§£###
###£§$\~:.    but all growth and procreation must   .:~\$§£###
###£§$\~:.   happen during the two weeks in june.   .:~\$§£###
###£§$\~:.                                          .:~\$§£###
#££§$\\~:.    now the plant feeds on birds; the     .:~\\$§££#
###£§$\~:.  semistiff upright feelers looks like an .:~\$§£###
#§\\\~....   extension of the sea, and birds are    ....~\\\§#
###£§$\~:. tricked into landing or diving into it.  .:~\$§£###
#£§§$\::..     they are quickly paralyzed by the    ..::\$§§£#
###£§$\~:.      poison on the purple hairs, and     .:~\$§£###
###£§$\~:.     devoured over a period of hours.     .:~\$§£###
###£§$\~:.                                          .:~\$§£###
###£§$\~:.    procreation can happen sexually via   .:~\$§£###
#£$\\\~:..  spores (cryptogamia) or asexually when  ..:~\\\$£#
£££§\\~~:.      the roots are cut, dividing an      .:~~\\§£££
###£§$\~:.           individual into two.           .:~\$§£###
£§\::::::.                                          .::::::\§£
##££§$\~:.                                          .:~\$§££##
£$\::::...                                          ...::::\$£
##§$$~:...                                          ...:~$$§##
##£$$$\~:.                                          .:~\$$$£##