Plants epiphytic, medium-sized. Rhizome long creeping, densely covered with scales; scales dark brown, lanceolate, base broad and reddish brown ciliate, acuminate at apex. Fronds remote. Stipe stramineous, articulate to rhizome. Lamina narrowly lanceolate, deeply pinnatifid or pinnatisect at lower part. Lateral lobes more than 30 pairs, narrowly lanceolate, spreading or slightly deflexed at lower pairs. Veins free, not forming costal areoles; veinlets forked. Sori orbicular, in a single row on each side of costa, paraphyses absent.

Christenhusz et al. (Phytotaxa 19: 36. 2011) and Lindsay and Middleton (http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/thaiferns/factsheets/index.php#M; accessed 2 Apr 2012) include Metapolypodium within Goniophlebium.

Two species: Asia, from SW China to Indochina and Himalaya; two species in China.

(Authors: Lu Shugang (陆树刚); Peter H. Hovenkamp)