Rhizome erect to suberect, c. 10 mm in diameter. Fronds tufted, erect to arching, hemidimorphic, herbaceous to subcoriaceous. Stipe 4-20 cm long, straw-coloured, densely set with hair-like scales, 1-5 mm long, falling of with age, stipe of the fertile fronds 2-3 times longer than that of the sterile fronds. Lamina oblong-lanceolate in outline, up to 27 × 7 cm, pinnate, but the fertile frond bearing a pair of modified basal pinnae. Sterile pinnae lanceolate to rhombic in outline, apex blunt, base asymmetrically wedge-shaped, small scales sparsely present along veins and costae, becoming subglabrous with age, margins minutely toothed, shortly petiolate. Fertile pinnea up to 14 cm long, 3-pinnate, plume-like from the lamina base, terminal spike bearing clustered sporangia in two rows on the ultimate segments along the naked costules.

This taxa has pinnate sterile pinnae.

dregeana: this plant was first collected by J.F.Drege (1794-1881), German botanist.

Under decidious scrub in low altitude river valleys, in dry rocky hillsides, fairly wet conditions on forest floors and along streams in full shade.

Endemic to southern Africa.

South Africa, Swaziland.

Terrestrial.