@@@¨¨¨@@¨@                                          @¨@¨¨@@¨@¨
¨@@¨¨@¨@¨@                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@@¨@¨@                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨¨@¨@¨@                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@@¨@¨@                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨¨@¨@¨@                «««««««««««               @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@@¨@¨@             **           **              @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨¨@¨@¨@             ;   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.           @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@@¨@¨@                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨¨@¨@¨@                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@@¨@¨@                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨¨@¨@¨@                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@@¨@¨@                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨