##@¶@†\=,¨                                          ¨,=\†@¶@##
#@¶@§†\=,¨                                          ¨,=\†§@¶@#
#@¶@§†\=,¨                                          ¨,=\†§@¶@#
@@@††\,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,\††@@@
#@¶@§†\=,¨                                          ¨,=\†§@¶@#
##@@§†\=,¨               ===========                ¨,=\†§@@##
#@¶@§†\=,¨              ††           ††             ¨,=\†§@¶@#
#@¶@§†\=,¨            \   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.           ¨,==\\†@@@
@@¶@§†\=,¨                                          ¨,=\†§@¶@@
@@¶@§†\=,¨                                          ¨,=\†§@¶@@
¶@§†==,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,==†§@¶
#@¶@§†\=,¨                                          ¨,=\†§@¶@#
#@¶@§†\=,¨                                          ¨,=\†§@¶@#