,.~^§%&¶##                                          ##¶&%§^~.,
,,,,,,,~§&                                          &§~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~§%&                                          &%§~,,,,,,
,,,,.^%%%¶                                          ¶%%%^.,,,,
,.~^§%&¶##                                          ##¶&%§^~.,
,,,,.~^§%¶               ~~~~~~~~~~~                ¶%§^~.,,,,
,,,..^%%%¶             §§           §§              ¶%%%^..,,,
,,,,,,.^%¶             ^   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.           ¶¶¶&%§^~.,
,.~^§%&¶##                                          ##¶&%§^~.,
,,,,,~^§§&                                          &§§^~,,,,,
,.~^§%%%¶¶                                          ¶¶%%%§^~.,
,.~^§%&¶##                                          ##¶&%§^~.,
,,,,~§%&¶#                                          #¶&%§~,,,,