¨¨¨#####¨¨                                          #¨¨##¨¨###
#¨¨#¨¨¨¨#¨                                          ¨#¨#¨#¨#¨¨
##¨##¨¨¨##                                          ¨########¨
#¨##¨#¨¨#¨                                          ¨#¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#
¨##¨###¨##                                          ###¨¨¨¨¨¨#
##¨##¨¨##¨                ~~~~~~~~~~~               #¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨#
¨¨##¨#¨#¨#              §§           §§             ##¨##¨¨¨¨#
#¨#¨######             =   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.           ####¨##¨##
###¨###¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨##¨##¨
#¨¨##¨¨#¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨#¨##¨#
¨#¨#¨#¨##¨                                          #¨¨¨###¨##
########¨#                                          ##¨¨#¨¨##¨
#¨¨¨¨¨¨¨##                                          ¨¨#¨##¨#¨#