The damp places have their own small beauties. This is one of them. A small, erect herb with narrow, divided leaves that are edible and have a mild flavour. They can be eaten raw in salads. The small, blue or white flowers appear in summer. It grows in damp, open areas throughout New Zealand. It is a native relative of introduced isotome species. A modest plant. Easy to overlook. The leaves are narrow and deeply divided, giving them a feathery appearance. They are bright green and arranged alternately along the stem. The stems are erect and branching, forming small, bushy clumps. The flowers are small and blue or white, with five petals that are fused at the base. They appear in summer and are followed by small, capsule-like fruits containing the seeds. The flowers are pollinated by insects. A small splash of colour in the green. Native isotome is a plant of damp, open areas. It grows in damp grassland, at forest margins, and along stream banks. It prefers sites with good light and consistent moisture. A plant that likes its feet wet. To find native isotome is to walk the damp forest margins and stream banks. Look for the small, blue or white flowers, the feathery leaves. It is a plant of the damp places, a splash of colour in the green. A few leaves can add a mild flavour to a salad. A small harvest from a small plant. Most people walk past it. They see the green. They miss the blue. The isotome does not mind. It was not trying to be noticed. It was just growing where the ground stays damp. And that seems to be enough.