Stems often whitish pruinose, slender, to 6 mm diam., acrid-tasting; scales concolored to weakly bicolored, uniformly golden brown or slightly darker near apex, lanceolate, contorted distally, margins denticulate. Leaves to 40 cm. Petiole slender, ± 1.5 mm diam. Blade elongate-deltate, rarely oblong, pinnatifid, usually widest at or near base, to 9 cm wide, herbaceous to somewhat leathery; rachis sparsely scaly to glabrescent abaxially, glabrous adaxially; scales lanceolate-ovate, usually more than 6 cells wide. Segments linear to oblong, less than 8 mm wide, margins entire to crenulate; apex acute to narrowly rounded; midrib glabrous adaxially. Venation free. Sori midway between margin and midrib to nearly marginal, less than 3 mm diam., circular when immature. Sporangiasters present, usually more than 40 per sorus, heads densely covered with glandular hairs. Spores less than 52 µm, verrucose, projections less than 3 µm tall. 2 n = 74.
