¨¨¨¨,«/¤¤@                                          @¤¤/«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,«/¤¤@#                                          #@¤¤/«,¨¨¨
¨¨,«/¤¤@##                                          ##@¤¤/«,¨¨
¨,«/¤¤@###                                          ###@¤¤/«,¨
¨¨,«/¤¤@##                                          ##@¤¤/«,¨¨
¨¨¨,«/¤¤@#                «««««««««««               #@¤¤/«,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«/¤¤@             ^^           ^^              @¤¤/«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«/¤¤            /   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.           ¤¤/«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«/¤¤@                                          @¤¤/«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,«/¤¤@#                                          #@¤¤/«,¨¨¨
¨¨,«/¤¤@##                                          ##@¤¤/«,¨¨
¨,«/¤¤@###                                          ###@¤¤/«,¨
¨¨,«/¤¤@##                                          ##@¤¤/«,¨¨