Plants epilithic. Rhizome erect or ascending, short, dictyostelic, scaly; scales brown, linear or lanceolate, entire. Fronds tufted, ± dimorphic, often shortly stipitate; lamina pectinately pinnatisect, oblanceolate in outline, narrowed downward, leathery; pinnae spreading, oblong-subtriangular, base decurrent to rachis wing, margin entire; lower pinnae much shorter; veins inconspicuous, free, furcate, basal ones always trifurcate, not reaching lamina margin. Sori linear, forming coenosori adjacent and parallel to costa; indusium facing toward costa, thinly papery, covering young sporangia, opening when mature; spores elliptic, perispore corrugated. 2n = 62, 68.

Struthiopteris is included within Blechnum by Christenhusz et al. (Phytotaxa 19: 39. 2011).

About ten species: mainly distributed in temperate areas of the N Hemisphere and Australia; two species (one endemic) in China.

(Authors: Wang Faguo (王发国), Xing Fuwu (邢福武); Masahiro Kato)