^»†$*£¶###                                          ###¶£*$†»^
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.^»†$*£¶##                                          ##¶£*$†»^.
.^»†$*£¶##               »»»»»»»»»»»                ##¶£*$†»^.
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.....»$$*¶             †   blue fire   †            ¶*$$».....
.....^»$£¶             $$           $$              ¶£$»^.....
....^^»$$£               »»»»»»»»»»»                £$$»^^....
.^»†$*£¶##                                          ##¶£*$†»^.
.^»†$*£###  the .blue fire. is a carnivorous plant  ###£*$†»^.
....»»†*£¶  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  ¶¶£*†»»»^.
.^»†$*£¶##      the roots are cut, dividing an      ##¶£*$†»^.
.^»†$*£¶##           individual into two.           ##¶£*$†»^.
.^»†$*¶###                                          ###¶*$†»^.
.^»†$*£¶##                                          ##¶£*$†»^.
.^»†$*£¶##                                          ##¶£*$†»^.
.^»†$$$*¶¶                                          ¶¶*$$$†»^.
.»†$*£¶###                                          ###¶£*$†».