Rhizomes short, ascending, apex densely clothed with brown subulate lanceolate scales. Fronds caespitose; fertile fronds (10-)25-90 cm; stipe blackish brown at base, upward stramineous, (2.5-)10-30 cm, 1.5-3 mm in diam., base similarly densely scaly; lamina pinnate or 2-pinnate, oblong-lanceolate, (10-)17-55 × 5-30 cm at middle, apex acuminate; pinnae ca. 16 pairs, alternate, with stalk 1-4 mm, basal pinnae not shortened, spreading, middle pinnae oblong-lanceolate or broadly lanceolate, base inequilateral, auriculate on acroscopic side, parallel to rachis, rounded-truncate on basiscopic side, pinnate to pinnate-pinnatipartite, apex acuminate or long acuminate; pinnules pinnatisect, 6-10 pairs, alternate, ascending, approximate or separated by narrow space; basal acroscopic pinnules largest, deltoid-oblong, pinnatilobate or pinnatipartite; other pinnules oblong or oblong-lanceolate, 7-15 × 3-7 mm at base, base inequilateral, auriculate on acroscopic side, parallel to costa, adnate to costa, margin subentire or pinnatisect nearly to costule, apex acute and shortly toothed; pinnule segments oblong, 5-6 × 2-3 mm, with 1 or 2 small teeth, acute at apex; veins inconspicuous, lateral veins pinnate, simple. Lamina subherbaceous when dried, glabrate, dark green, shiny adaxially. Sori suborbicular or orbicular-reniform, abaxial, medial on acroscopic veins, 1-5 pairs per segment; indusia brown, small, orbicular-reniform or horseshoe-shaped, membranous, erose at margin, often partly fugacious. Perispore surface prominently with low folds. 2n = 80, 160.