Polypodium penangianum Hooker, Sp. Fil. 5: 13. 1863 ["panangianum"]; Abacopteris penangiana (Hooker) Ching; Aspidium porphyrophlebium Christ; A. rampans (Baker) Christ; Christella porphyrophlebia (Christ) H. Léveillé; Dryopteris porphyrophlebia (Christ) C. Christensen; D. rampans (Baker) C. Christensen; Goniopteris penangiana (Hooker) Beddome; Nephrodium rampans Baker; Thelypteris penangiana (Hooker) C. F. Reed; T. porphyrophlebia (Christ) C. F. Reed; T. rampans (Baker) C. F. Reed.

Plants 1-2 m tall. Rhizomes long creeping, dark brown, ca. 1.2 cm in diam., occasionally with 1 or 2 brown lanceolate scales. Fronds remote; stipes ca. 1 m, dark brown, distally reddish brown, glabrous; laminae oblong-lanceolate, 40-80 × 25-40 cm, 1-imparipinnate; lateral pinnae 10-15 pairs, obliquely spreading, alternate, stalked, broadly linear, pinnae from proximal middle part 20-30 × 2-2.7 cm, broadly cuneate at bases, sharply cartilaginous-serrate or teethlike along margins, acuminate at apices; pinnae distally slightly shortened; terminal pinna of similar shape and size as lateral pinnae, stalks ca. 1 cm. Veinlets evident abaxially, spreading and parallel to each other, 9 or 10 pairs, joining by theirs ends and forming triangular areoles between veinlets, an excurrent veinlet arising from joining point connected with more distal veinlets (sometimes interrupted) and forming 2 rows of elongated square areoles, distal 2 or 3 pairs of veinlets free and reaching margins. Laminae papery when dry, dark brown or reddish brown, glabrous throughout. Sori orbicular, attached on middle or proximal middle of veinlets and in 2 rows between veinlets, 6 or 7 per row, exindusiate.

Pronephrium penangianum is used as a medicinal herb at Emei Shan, Sichuan. The fronds are used in traditional Chinese medicine for irregular menstruation.

Sparse forests, shaded streamsides; 900-3600 m. Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, S Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Zhejiang [Bhutan, India, Kashmir, Nepal, Pakistan].