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Rhizome erect or ± prostrate, with radially arranged vascular structure, scaly; scales narrow, usually rigid and opaque. Fronds in most species at least pinnately divided; basal pinnae with elongate basal basiscopic lobes or pinnules, entire or with unlobed basal pinnae only in a few species which have elaborate anastomosis of veins. Veins free, the basal basiscopic vein in each pinna lobe commonly arising from the costa, or anastomosing to form narrow areoles along costae or costules, or more elaborately anastomosing with ± isodiametric areoles having included free branched veinlets variously directed. Costae and costules in most species slightly ridged on the upper surface and covered with reddish articulated hairs, in some species slightly grooved and glabrous; upper surface of lamina between veins usually bearing scattered thick reddish articulated hairs at least near the margins; slender hairs variously present on and between veins on the lower surface. Sori usually round with reniform or peltate indusia, in a few species ±elongate or asymmetric or (not in Australia) spreading along all veins in contracted fertile pinnae. Spores usually cristate; crests forming a ± definite reticulum.
Plants terrestrial. Rhizome erect or ascending to creeping, short or long, stout or slender, scaly at apex; rhizome and basal stipe scales brown, lanceolate, margins entire or ciliate, membranous. Stipe stramineous or brown to black, scaly at base or sometimes throughout. Fronds monomorphic to strongly dimorphic, simple or pinnate to multiple times pinnate-pinnatifid, often triangular or pentagonal, pinnae and lobes usually entire, never serrate; all axes hairy with articulate multicellular hairs; veins variously anastomosing, included veinlets if present simple or forked. Sori terminal on included free veins, dorsal on veins or compital on connected veins, usually orbicular, sometimes elongate, anastomosing in lines, in some species throughout abaxial surface of lamina when mature, indusiate or exindusiate; indusia if present orbicular-reniform, persistent or caducous. Spores ovoid or elliptic, perispore verrucose, rugose, or spinose. n = 10, (40).
Veins freely anastomosing; branched free veinlets variously directed present in many areoles
Basal pinnae with basal basiscopic lobes longest
