Plant creeping, moss-like; stem prostrate or suberect, 10-25 mm long, rarely branched or branched from base; roots very small and slender, borne near the base. Leaves dimorphic; lateral leaves ovate-elliptic in outline, apex pointed, base rounded, margins toothed, arista ± 1/3 or less the lenght of the lamina, 1.5-2 × 0.75-1 mm, larger than median leaves; median leaves ovate in outline, apex tapering to a point, base rounded, margin slightly finely toothed, arista ± 1/2 or less the lenght of the lamina, 0.8-1 × 0.35 mm. Strobili situated on the end of the branches, 1.5-3 x ± 0.8 mm; sporophylls slightly larger than the leaves, of 2 kinds.

Can be seperated from S. mittenii by its paler green colour, also the leaves of S. perpusilla do not curl when dry.

perpusilla: very small, referring to the size of this fern.

Damp sandy soil, seepage zone among granite outcrops in mixed deciduous Brachystegia woodland, Hyphaene grassland, scattered tree grassland, bare soil of forest tracks and sisal plantations, marshy area near rice cultivations.

See African distribution.

Dem. Republic of Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania , Zimbabwe.

Terrestrial.