Plants ca. 30 cm tall. Rhizome erect. Fronds caespitose; stipe brown, 4-5 cm, densely clothed with brown scales often with a pale brown margin; lamina oblong-lanceolate, ca. 25 × 8-10 cm, bipinnatifid, gradually narrowed toward base, apex obtuse; pinnae 13-15 pairs, spreading, contiguous, middle pinnae 4-5 × ca. 1.5 cm, gradually shortened toward lamina base, basal pair 1-2 cm, lanceolate, base truncate, sessile, apex obtuse; segments 8-10 pairs, oblong, apex rounded, dentate, basal pair often free from costa, margin often reflexed. Lamina thinly to thickly papery; rachis and costae with lanceolate, dark brown scales; veins pinnate, distinct on both surfaces. Sori 2-4 on each segment, in middle; indusia brown, margin lacerate. Spores sometimes irregular.