,,::==§&&#                                          #&&§==::,,
,:=^§$&@##                                          ##@&$§^=:,
,:=^§&#@##                                          ##@#&§^=:,
,,,:^§$&&@                                          @&&$§^:,,,
,:=^§$#@##                                          ##@#$§^=:,
,:=^§$&#@#                ===========               #@#&$§^=:,
,,,,,:=§$#              §§           §§             #$§=:,,,,,
,:=^§$&#@@            ^   blue fire   ^             @@#&$§^=:,
,:=^§$&#@#             §§           §§              #@#&$§^=:,
,,,,,,,=§&                ===========               &§=,,,,,,,
,,,,,=^^$&                                          &$^^=,,,,,
,:=^§$&#@#  the ,blue fire, is a carnivorous plant  #@#&$§^=:,
,:=^§$&#@#  living mostly at the western alvar (but #@#&$§^=:,
,:=^§$&#@#   it has spread to a few other places,   #@#&$§^=:,
,,,,,=§§&&           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.           &§====::,,
,:=^§$&#@#                                          #@#&$§^=:,
,:=^§§$$$#                                          #$$$§§^=:,
,:=^§$&&#@                                          @#&&$§^=:,
,:=^§$&#@@                                          @@#&$§^=:,
,:=^§$&#@#                                          #@#&$§^=:,