Rhizome shortly creeping to ascending; rhizome scales apex slowly tapering to a point, margin pale, entire, up to 4 mm long, pale brown or more frequently black. Fronds monomorphic, closely spaced. Stipe 6-14 cm, brown, grooved above, set with brown, hairlike scales up to 3 mm long. Lamina 2-3 pinnate, narrowly ovate to lanceolate in outline, 9-17 × 3.5-7 cm; ultimate segments oblong to narrowly hastate, venation obscure, free, hairless, undersurface occasionally set with a few scales along the costules; rhachis and secondary rhachises brown, grooved above, densely covered with lanceolate scales. Sori marginal; indusium continuous, subentire.

Very difficult to distinguish from both varieties of C. involuta, some feel that it should be treated as a variety of that species.

botswanae: from Botswana, the type specimen was collected in this country.

Dry, rocky outcrops in mixed woodland, in areas that have a long, hot dry period in the winter and spring months.

See African distribution.

Botswana, South Africa.

Lithophytic, terrestrial.