Blechnum minus Ettingsh.

Rhizome creeping to erect. Fronds dimorphic, 10-75 (-165) cm long, 2.5-20 (-44) cm wide. Stipe 2-33 cm long, stramineous to reddish brown, darkening towards the base; scales cordate to linear, acuminate to subulate, entire to slightly dentate, brown to reddish brown, often darker at the base of the scale. Lamina lanceolate to ovate, pinnate, with 3-37 pairs of pinnae; rachis and costae stramineous, brown to reddish brown, scaly; scales linear, subulate, entire to somewhat dentate, stramineous to dark reddish brown (sometimes with broad, cordate bases); sterile pinnae narrowly oblong with acute apices, 1.5-22 cm long, 5-10 (-17) mm wide, shortly stalked towards lamina base, basiscopically adnate and sometimes winged at apex; margins finely serrate; basal pinnae auriculate; fertile pinnae 6-21 cm long, 1.5-5 mm wide; lowest pinnae with expanded sterile segments at rachis. Spores 52 × 37 µm; perine scaberulous, alate with sparse short wing-like muri; exine smooth to scaberulous.

Grows on stream and river banks, and in other moist places such as springs, soaks, swamps, bogs and on wet rocks, in crevices near waterfalls and caves, in sheltered gullies and forests, and in open fields and river flats.