Botrychium australe R.Br.

A tufted fern which grows to 40 cm high. It continues to grow from year to year and grows on dry land. The rhizome or underground stem is thick and fleshy. It does not have scales or hairs. Both fertile and sterile leaves occur from a common stem which is 2-5 cm long. The sterile leaves are 5-45 cm long and 5-20 cm wide. They are triangular shaped. They are divided up to 5 times. They are bright green and resemble parsley leaves. The fertile stalk is 10-20 cm long and branched 2 or 3 times. The spore bodies occur in rows and crowded on either side. The new frond is not curled when a bud.

It is a warm temperate plant. It grows in open forests and near the edges of rainforests. It needs light shade. It requires an acid soil. The soil should be well drained but moist. It is resistant to frost but sensitive to drought.

It can be grown from offshoots. It needs a good supply of organic material. It can be grown by spores.