A small, creeping ground cover with kidney-shaped, parsley-like leaves. A plant that tastes like the forest. The leaves have a mild, pleasant flavour and can be used as a parsley substitute in cooking. They are good in salads, soups and sauces. The plant grows in damp, open areas and forms dense mats. It is an excellent ground cover for shady, moist areas. A plant that is both pretty and useful. The leaves are rounded, with scalloped margins and a glossy, dark green surface. They are held on slender stalks that rise from the creeping stems. The stems root at the nodes, allowing the plant to spread rapidly across the ground. The flowers are small and white, appearing in summer. The species is native to New Zealand, the Chatham Islands, and the subantarctic islands. It is also found in Australia. It is a common plant of damp, open areas, including forest margins, stream banks, and coastal grasslands. It tolerates a range of conditions but prefers moist, fertile soils. The leaves have a mild, parsley-like flavour with a hint of musk (the species name moschata means musky). They can be used fresh in salads or cooked in soups and sauces. The flavour is delicate and easily overpowered, so it is best used as a garnish or added at the end of cooking. To find native parsley is to walk the damp margins of streams and forests. The stream bank is damp. The parsley creeps, glossy leaves bright green, small white flowers nodding. A leaf is picked and tasted. The flavour is mild, with a hint of musk. The plant does not know it is a substitute for parsley. It just grows. That is what parsley does.