Plants terrestrial. Rhizome long creeping, solenostelic, covered with multicellular bristles. Fronds medium-sized to large, monomorphic; stipes not articulate to rhizome; lamina 1-4-pinnate, herbaceous or papery, both surfaces often with many gray multicellular hairs; pinnules or terminal lobes oblique, base asymmetrical, lower part cuneate and upper part truncate; veins free, pinnate; rachis grooved, hairy. Sori almost marginal, orbicular, protected by a reflexed tooth or marginal flap, or naked, terminal on veins; annulus of 12-18 thickened cells; paraphyses linear, often absent; spores bilateral, elliptic, spinulose or tuberculate, rarely smooth.

According to Brownsey (Blumea 32: 227-276. 1987), on whom this account is largely based, the names Hypolepis punctata and H. tenuifolia have been widely misapplied, and so older records need to be treated with caution. The very important indumentum characters are much more easily observed in living material.

The authors have not seen any material of Hypolepis glandulosopilosa H. G. Zhou & H. Li (Guihaia 11: 41-42. 1991), described from Guangxi.

About 50 species: pantropical, mainly in the W Hemisphere; eight species (two endemic) in China.

(Authors: Xing Fuwu (邢福武), Wang Faguo (王发国); A. Michele Funston, Michael G. Gilbert)