Lithophytic or terrestrial; rhizome creeping or erect, up to 4 mm diameter, with subulate dark brown entire attenuate rhizome scales 2–5x0.3–0.6 mm, ending in a hair-point and with marginal cells slightly paler. Fronds spaced to tufted, erect, not proliferous, thinly coriaceous to thinly herbaceous. Stipe dull brown to black at least at the base, paler above in younger specimens, 6–37 cm long, with scales similar to those of rhizome, higher up with mid-brown clathrate subulate attenuate scales to 2 mm with a few thin lobes near the base. Lamina narrowly oblong to triangular-ovate in outline, 8–26(–30)x4–15(–18) cm, 2-pinnate to 3-pinnatifid or 3-pinnatisect at base; basal pinnae not or hardly reduced. Pinnae dark green above, ovate or rhombic, up to 8x4 cm, with obovate segments, the larger segments stalked and up to 23x13 mm, sometimes lobed, base asymmetrically cuneate, distal margin rounded and serrate or gradually tapering and serrate, glabrous on both surfaces or with scattered minute scales; basal pinnules largest, apical pinnule also large, ovate and lobed. Rachis black dorsally, green and sulcate ventrally, not winged or sometimes narrowly winged, with clathrate brown lanceolate scales ciliate at their base, up to 1.5 mm long. Sori 5–12 per pinnule, along the veins, linear, 3–13 mm long; indusium linear, membranous, entire, 0.4 mm wide.
