Polypodium macrosphaerum Baker, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1895: 55. 1895; Lepisorus macrosphaerus f. maximus (Ching) Y. X. Lin; L. macrosphaerus var. maximus Ching; L. macrosphaerus f. minimus (Ching) Y. X. Lin; L. macrosphaerus var. minimus Ching; Pleopeltis macrosphaera (Baker) Panigrahi & Patnaik; Polypodium intramarginale Baker ex Christ.

Plants usually 20-40 cm tall. Rhizomes long creeping, 2.2-3 mm in diam., densely scaly; scales caducous, basifixed, brown, ovate or acuminately ovate, 2-3 × 1-2 mm, margin entire, apex obtuse; central lumina subrectangular, luminal walls thickened and dark colored, marginal lumina polygonal, colored. Fronds 0.5-2 cm apart; stipe mostly straw-colored, 3-16 cm, 1-2 mm in diam.; lamina abaxially gray-green or brownish, adaxially yellowish green or brown, lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate, (7-)20-40 × (0.7-)1.5-5 cm, widest at middle, thickly leathery, with small sparse scales, base cuneate, decurrent, margin straight or slightly undulate, apex shortly acuminate; costa raised on both sides, veinlets normally obscure. Sori marginal or submarginal, orbicular or elliptic, much raised on abaxial surface of lamina, depressed on adaxial surface of lamina; paraphyses brown, orbicular, 0.5-0.8 mm in diam., margin entire.

● On tree trunks or rocks in forests; 900-3400 m. Guizhou, Hubei, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan.