Aspidium puberulum Desv.
Polypodium triphyllum Desv.
Phegopteris triphylla (Desv.) Kuhn
Nephrodium subtriphyllum (Hook. & Arn.) Baker

Rhizome long-creeping, up to 7 mm in diameter; rhizome scales up to 0.7 mm at base, apex tapering to a point, dark brown. Fronds dimorphic, spaced. Stipe 23 cm long in fertile, 14 cm long in sterile fronds, with scales 2.5–4 x 0.2 mm near base. Lamina tripartite-palmate; fertile lamina: basal pinna pair together 16 x 3.2 cm, pinnae basiscopically produced, stalked for ± 1 mm, terminal pinna 14.5 x 4.8 cm with lobed margin; sterile lamina having a more having a lobed, leaflike shape, all elements fused, also basiscopicaly produced and up to 17 x 8 cm, basal pinnules together 17 x 5 cm, sessile; rhachis brown with groove on the upper side containing minute dark brown glands; veins anastomosing, free veinlets in all areoles even in those parallel to rhachis; upper and lower leaf surface with sparse stiff hairs to 0.3 mm long, sometimes with small scales. Sori median on fused pinnules and on smaller units, never on tip of free veinlet, but rather on branch points of veins, brown, ± 1 mm in diameter, occasionally merging together.

puberula: downy; the surfaces of the leaves are covered with fine hairs.

Spray zone by falls in moist forest.

Africa, Comoro Isl., Macarene Isl., Madagascar.

Tanzania .

Terrestrial.