Rhizome shortly creeping or erect, ± 5 mm diameter; rhizome scales dense, shiny, clathrate, black, 2–2.5 x 0.8 mm long, margin paler, apex ending in a hair. Fronds tufted, oblong-elliptic in outline, 20–36 cm long, sometimes proliferous. Stipe green to blackish, 6–14 cm long, with some scales similar to those of rhizome and a few capitate glands. Lamina oblong in outline, 10–22 x 2.5–6 cm, 1-pinnate, basal pinnae hardly reduced, apex gradually decrescent. Pinnae in 9–19 pairs, sub-coriaceous, to 4 x 1.3 cm, base unequally wedge shaped to tapering, the acroscopic margin parallel with the rachis, the basiscopic margin slightly dimidiate and then cuneate, sometimes slightly 3-lobed, upper margin double serrate, apex rounded to gradually tapering to a point. Rhachis with scattered scales similar to those of rhizome, and with narrow hairs/scales, some of which are small stalked glands. Sori 6–17 per pinna, at slight angle to costa, linear in outline, 2.5–6 mm long; indusium membranous, entire, to 0.7 mm wide.

adamsii: type specimen from Mt. Cameroon, collected by C.D. Adams.

Rocky places near waterfall in moorland and upper heath zone, crevices in lava wall.

See African distribution.

Cameroon, Kenya, Tanzania .

Lithophytic, terrestrial.