Rhizome shortly creeping to suberect, up to 25 mm in diameter; rhizome scales up to 20 mm long, margin entire, reddish-brown, narrowly lanceolate, tapering to a point. Fronds closely tufted, arching, herbaceous, drying almost black on ventral side, dull green on dorsal side. Stipe up to 65 cm long, pale brown but darker near the base; set towards the base with dark scales with pale margins, up to 10 mm long. Lamina ovate to broadly lanceolate in outline, terminal segment long and narrow, 2-pinnate to 3-pinnatifid, with basal pair of pinnae somewhat reduced and deflexed, up to 90 × 50 cm. Pinnae narrowly lanceolate, tapering to a point. Pinnules variable, narrowly oblong to narrowly lanceolate in outline, basal acroscopic lobe enlarged and sometimes almost free; margins entire, shallowly lobed or deeply pinnatifid into crenate-serrate blunt lobes; both surfaces glabrous. Rhachis with scattered scales similar to those on the stipe but smaller. Sori round, c. 0.75 mm in diameter; indusia very small, shed soon after maturity.

This species does not have aristate pinnule margins, the rhachis has hair-like scales and the rhizome is short suberect.

zambesiacum: of the Zambesia region; referring to the Flora Zambesiaca area, type specimen found in Zimbabwe.

In high altitude evergreen, montane mist forest, in shade on forest floor, along forest edge and streams.

See African distribution.

Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania , Zimbabwe.

Lithophytic, terrestrial.