Rhizome short, suberect; rhizome scales linear-lanceolate in outline, c. 1.5 mm long, pale brown, concolorous. Fronds strongly dimorphic, the fertile fronds erect and the sterile fronds growing close to the ground and spreading, both proliferous near the base of the midrib, both thinly coriaceous. Stipe: sterile frond 3-9 cm long, blackish brown, lightly to densely set with a mixture of light brown hairs and subentire scales c. 1 mm long; fertile frond stipe up to 20 cm long. Lamina: sterile frond deeply pinnatifid into rounded obovate lobes, the basal pair incised basiscopically and with lobes frequently overlapping one another, ovate to weakly pentagonal in outline, 4-6 x 3-5 cm, both surfaces with hairs; fertile lamina 2- or 3-pinnatifid on the strongly basiscopically developed pair of basal pinnae, ovate to pentagonal in outline, up to 10.5 x 11 cm, ultimate lobes linear-oblong in outline, apex bluntly acute, 3-4 mm wide, upper surface subglabrous, undersurface thinly set with minute white hairs; rhachis as for sterile stipe, winged apically, not winged above the basal pinnae. Sori marginal, linear; indusium continuous, subentire.

pilosa: set with soft hairs; gemmifera: bearing gemmae (plantlets).

Semidecidious scrub forest or woodland along seasonal streams on dry, west-facing mountain slopes, growing in light shade on steep earth banks or in the lee of rocks.

See African distribution.

South Africa.

Terrestrial.