Plants 55-70 cm tall. Rhizomes short, decumbent or ascending. Fronds approximate or subclustered; stipes 25-35 cm, bases nearly black, with sparse reddish brown lanceolate scales, distally dark brown-castaneous or castaneous-brown or wholly stramineous, glabrous; laminae ovate-oblong, 30-35 × 17-20 cm, not tapering at bases, pinnate-pinnatifid, apices acuminate and pinnatifid; pinnae 15-20 pairs, spreading, proximal 3 or 4 pairs of pinnae longer, opposite or subopposite, sessile; middle pinnae lanceolate, 8-10 × 1.3-1.6 cm, bases subtruncate, symmetrical, pinnatifid and reaching both narrow wings on costae, apices acuminate; segments 25-30 pairs, lanceolate and slightly falcate, 5-7 × ca. 2.6 mm, entire, apices obtuse or acute. Veins evident, lateral veins simple, 8 or 9(or 10) pairs per segment, proximal pair arising from near base of costules. Laminae herbaceous, dark green when dry, abaxially along costae, costae (sometimes including lateral veins) and margins with grayish white sparse pubescence and more reddish brown globose large glands, adaxially along costal grooves with dense acicular hairs, rachises with appressed short acicular hairs. Sori orbicular, dorsifixed slightly above middle of lateral veins, 3 or 4 pairs per segment; indusia large, orbicular-reniform, brownish, membranous, grayish white pubescent or glabrous, persistent. 2n = 124.

Forests; 200-2000 m. Anhui, N Fujian, Guizhou, Hunan, N Jiangsu, Jiangxi, W Sichuan, Taiwan, N Yunnan, S and W Zhejiang [Japan, S Korea].