THE MOUNTAIN PARSLEY FERN. 165 
resemblance to parsley. The contraction of the 
seed-bearing leaflets on the taller fertile fronds 
gives to them an oval rounded appearance. The 
roots of the Parsley Fern are thick and matted, 
and from its crown the fronds grow in dense 
tufts. They are of a delightful green colour, 
and the whole plant forms a conspicuous orna- 
ment of the places where it grows. It is some- 
times called “the Rock Brakes,” from its habit of 
growing in stony places and on rocks and old 
walls. It is essentially a north-of-England fern, 
although it is found in Scotland and abundantly 
in Wales. Some plants have indeed been dis- 
covered — so it has been alleged — on Exmoor, 
near Challacombe ; but it is not a Devonshire 
fern. 
In the cultivation of the Parsley Fern one 
thing must be borne in mind : it cannot endure 
stagnant moisture, and indeed it does not like 
too much moisture of any kind, especially about 
its roots. Plant it, if in a pot, in a mixture of 
sandy peat and broken pieces of stone or flower- 
pot. It is delicately susceptible pf frosts, and 
