Rhizome c. 5 mm. in diam., short, creeping, with tufted fronds and with linear-attenuate entire ciliate or not ciliate black rhizome-scales c. 3 mm. long with pale margins often mixed together with pale-brown concolorous scales. Stipe castaneous to ebeneous, 2.5–40 cm. long, terete below, shallowly channelled above, glabrous or with patent hair-like scales. Frond erect to arching, membranous to coriaceous. Lamina up to 50 x 24 cm., broadly linear to lanceolate or broadly triangular-pentagonal in outline, 2-pinnatifid to 3-pinnate, sometimes with the basal pinnae the largest and much developed basiscopically; ultimate segments narrowly oblong, lanceolate or ovate, attenuate to obtuse, minutely crenate, petiolulate on a short glabrous or pubescent petiolule except for the terminal adnate segments, glabrous on both surfaces or sometimes pilose on the dorsal surface along the costa and veins; veins free, evident or obscure; rhachis and secondary rhachises castaneous to ebeneous, glabrous or shortly pubescent ventrally or densely set with patent hair-like scales, channelled ventrally with concolorous or paler lateral ridges. Sori in a marginal soral line; indusium continuous, subentire, membranous.