Aspidium tenuisectum Blume, Enum. Pl. Javae 2: 170. 1828; Alsophila tenuisecta Blume ex T. Moore; Asplenium tenuisectum (Blume) Hooker; Athyrium tenuisectum (Blume) T. Moore; Cornopteris tenuisecta (Blume) Tardieu; Cystopteris formosana Hayata; C. setosa Beddome; C. tenuisecta (Blume) Mettenius; Davallia setosa (Beddome) Baker (1874), not J. Smith (1808); Lastrea setosa Beddome (1868), not C. Presl (1851), nor T. Moore (1858).

Rhizome creeping, 2-5 mm in diam., with sparse brownish, lanceolate, thinly membranous scales. Fronds approximate; fertile frond (22-)65-80(-150) cm; stipe pale stramineous, (7-)30-40(-90) cm, (1.5-)3-4(-5) mm in diam. at base, grooved adaxially, clothed with brownish lanceolate scales and sparse multicellular hairs at base; lamina 3-pinnate, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, (14-)35-50(-70) × (7-)20-25(-60) cm, herbaceous, base subcordate, apex acuminate; pinnae 15-20 pairs, subopposite, subsessile or shortly stalked, broadly lanceolate to lanceolate, acuminate, slightly falcate, equilateral, base subtruncate; basal 1 or 2 pairs broadly lanceolate, (3.5-)15-20(-33) × (2-)4-8(-20) cm, base subtruncate or rounded-cuneate, apex long acuminate; pinnules 10-25 pairs, basal pair slightly shorter, acroscopic pinnule slightly shorter than basiscopic, broadly lanceolate, (1-)2.5-5(-10) × (0.4-)1-2(-3) cm, base truncate, sessile, apex obtuse or acuminate; pinnule segments oblong, 4-10 × 2-3 mm, sessile or ± adnate, lobed, obtuse; veins pinnate in segment, simple or forked. Orange or yellow small glands borne on abaxial surface and at indusium margin, hyaline multicellular long hairs present on veins, costules, costae, rachis, and stipe, and subulate scales adaxially. Sori orbicular, abaxial on basal acroscopic veins; indusia small, pale green, broadly ovate, membranous, proximal to sorophore, hidden by sori at maturity, persistent. Spores yellow, bean-shaped or narrowly spheroidal, perispore with dense inflated, bulbous processes. 2n = 82, 84, 168.

Forests in valleys and damp streamsides; 700-2600 m. Guangxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Xizang, Yunnan [Bhutan, NE India, Indonesia, S Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam; Pacific islands (New Zealand)].