#,,##,##,#                                          #,##,#,,#,
##,#,##,##                                          ###,###,##
,,####,##,                                          #,,##,,##,
,,#,,,##,#                                          ##,#,#,#,#
#,##,,#,##                                          ,,########
,##,#,###,                ~~~~~~~~~~~               #,#,,,,,,,
,#,####,,#             $$           $$              ,###,,,,,,
,###,,,#,#             *   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.           ,,##,##,##
#,,,#,##,,                                          ,,#,##,##,
##,,###,#,                                          ,,###,##,#
,,#,#,,###                                          ,,#,,##,##
#,####,#,,                                          #,##,#,##,
###,,,###,                                          ,##,####,#