@@@@£§=«,.                                          .,«=§£@@@@
@@#@£§=«,.                                          .,«=§£@#@@
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#@#@£§=«,.                                          .,«=§£@#@#
#@£££§=«,.                «««««««««««               .,«=§£££@#
#@#@£§=«,.             §§           §§              .,«=§£@#@#
#@#@£§=«,.             =   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.           ...««=££@#
#@#@£§=«,.                                          .,«=§£@#@#
#£====««,.                                          .,««====£#
@#@@£§=«,.                                          .,«=§£@@#@
#@#@£§=«,.                                          .,«=§£@#@#
@§«.......                                          .......«§@