,,~/%&&###                                          ###&&%/~,,
,,~/%&&###                                          ###&&%/~,,
,,~/%&&###                                          ###&&%/~,,
,,~/%&&###                                          ###&&%/~,,
,,,,~//&##                                          ##&//~,,,,
,,,,~%&&##               ~~~~~~~~~~~                ##&&%~,,,,
,,~/%&&###             %%           %%              ###&&%/~,,
,,~/%&&###            /   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.           ###&&%/~,,
,,,,//%%&#                                          #&%%//,,,,
,,,~~%%&&#                                          #&&%%~~,,,
,,,,,,~%&&                                          &&%~,,,,,,
,,,~~//&&#                                          #&&//~~,,,
,,~/%%%&##                                          ##&%%%/~,,