Rhizome shortly creeping; rhizome scales linear-lanceolate in outline, slightly ciliate, up to 8 x 0.5 mm, chestnut brown. Fronds monomorphic, tufted, 40–75 cm tall. Stipe 19–30 cm long, chestnut to black-purple, densely ± reflexed-scaly below, densely covered with multicellular hairs which are brown at the joints and shortly pubescent, but ± hairless on lower surface. Lamina very distinctly bipinnate to very slightly 3-pinnate with basal pinnae up to half the length of the lamina, triangular in outline, up to 19 x 16 cm; pinnae in 12–14 pairs, the lower 2–4 pairs 9.5–19 x 5–6 cm; pinnules in 2–11 pairs, oblong, oblong-elliptic or triangular-lanceolate in outline, rounded to subcordate at the base, young pinnules and sterile apices of mature pinnules strongly crenulate, 1.4–7.5 x 0.3–2 cm; venation visible by clearing or transmitted light, entirely free or with 1–2 anastomoses near base of pinnules on each side; rhachis and stalklets densely covered with brown hairs at the joints and shortly pubescent, but ± glabrous on lower surface. Sori and indusium continuous.

schippersii: named after Schippers who first found this species in NW Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.

Relict Olea-Cussonia dry forest, rocky slopes of rainy water channels, above 1700 m.

See African distribution.

Kenya, Tanzania .

Terrestrial.