,££,£,£,£,                                          £,,£,££,,,
£,£,£,£,£,                                          £,££,,£,,,
£,£,£,£,£,                                          £,,£,££,,£
£,£,£,£,£,                                          £,££,,£,£,
£,£,£,£,£,                                          £,,£,££,£,
£,£,£,£,£,                ~~~~~~~~~~~               £,££,,£,£,
£,£,£,£,£,              ††           ††             £,,£,££,£,
£,£,£,£,£,            ;   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.           £,££,,£,£,
£,£,£,£,£,                                          £,,£,££,£,
£,£,£,£,£,                                          £,££,,£,£,
£,£,£,£,£,                                          £,,£,££,£,
£,£,£,£,£,                                          £,££,,£,£,
£,£,£,£,£,                                          £,,£,££,£,