.......~«/                                          /«~.......
........~«                                          «~........
.........~                                          ~.........
..........                                          ..........
.........~                                          ~.........
........~«                «««««««««««               «~........
.......~«/              $$           $$             /«~.......
......~«/$             /   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.           «~........
.........~                                          ~.........
..........                                          ..........
.........~                                          ~.........
........~«                                          «~........
.......~«/                                          /«~.......