##..##.#.#                                          .#..##..#.
.#.#.#.#..                                          .#.#.#.##.
##.#.#.#.#                                          .#.#.#..#.
.#.#.#.#.#                                          .#.#.#.##.
##.#.#.#.#                                          .#.#.#..#.
.#.#.#.#.#               ~~~~~~~~~~~                .#.#.#.##.
##.#.#.#.#              %%           %%             .#.#.#..#.
.#.#.#.#.#            *   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.           .#.#.#.##.
##.#.#.#.#                                          .#.#.#..#.
.#.#.#.#.#                                          .#.#.#.##.
##.#.#.#.#                                          .#.#.#..#.
.#.#.#.#.#                                          .#.#.#.##.
##.#.#.#.#                                          .#.#.#..#.