Rhizomes shortly creeping, 3-4 mm thick, densely scaly; scales brown, ovate-lanceolate, ca. 5 mm, membranous, margin entire or slightly ciliate, apex acuminate. Fronds close together; sterile fronds: stipe brownish stramineous, 4-8 cm, base sparsely or densely covered with scales similar to those of rhizome, distally often with sparse, small, stellate scales; lamina elliptic-lanceolate, 14-20 × 2-4 cm, leathery, dark brown when dry, with sparse, small, brown, stellate scales, base cuneate, decurrent to stipe, margin entire, or with few or no spreading scales, thickened and slightly reflexed, apex acute; midrib obvious, prominent on both surfaces, grooved above, secondary veins inconspicuous, forked, terminating at margin; fertile fronds: stipe 14-16 cm, lamina 12-18 × 1.5-2 cm.