¨¨¨:«/†¤¶¶                                          ¶¶¤†/«:¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨::/¤¤¤                                          ¤¤¤/::¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨«††¤¤¤                                          ¤¤¤††«¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨:«/¤¤                                          ¤¤/«:¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨::/†¤¤¶¶                                          ¶¶¤¤†/::¨¨
¨:«/†¤¤¤¶¶                «««««««««««               ¶¶¤¤¤†/«:¨
¨:«/†¤¶###              ††           ††             ###¶¤†/«:¨
¨:::««†¤¶¶            /   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.           ¤¤†«¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨«/†¤#                                          #¤†/«¨¨¨¨¨
¨:«/†¤¤¶##                                          ##¶¤¤†/«:¨
¨¨¨¨:«/†¤¶                                          ¶¤†/«:¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨:/¤¤¶¶                                          ¶¶¤¤/:¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨«/††¤¶#                                          #¶¤††/«¨¨¨