Lecanopteris Reinw.

Epiphytic, very rarely epilithic, ant-inhabited ferns. Rhizome creeping, with hollow spaces inside or below; glabrous, hairy or with peltate scales, smooth, or spiny; with two rows of fronds or fronds replaced by spines or coralloid excrescences. Rhizome scales peltate, clathrate with a dark centre with more or less isodiametric, clathrate cells and a flabelloid margin with elongated, thin-walled cells; or scales very small or absent. Phyllopods usually distinct, hollow and protruding or solid and unprotruding. Fronds simple to deeply pinnatifid, sessile or stipitate; chartaceous to coriaceous. Venation forming into a complex network with included free veinlets. Sori immersed, in two rows on the lamina on either side of the costa, or on marginal excurrent teeth. Sporangia stalked, with 64 or rarely 16 spores. Spores monolete, orange, translucent, smooth or filamentous (L. mirabilis).