Apalophlebia C. Presl; Drymoglossum C. Presl, nom. cons.; Neoniphopsis T. Nakai; Niphobolus Kaulfuss; Oetosis Necker ex Kuntze; Polycampium C. Presl; Saxiglossum Ching.

Plants epiphytic and epilithic, small to medium-sized. Rhizomes shortly to long creeping, densely scaly. Fronds monomorphic or dimorphic, remote or clustered, covered with stellate hairs; lamina simple, rarely hastate or palmately to pedately divided; main veins distinct; lateral veins obliquely spreading, distinct or obscure; veinlets distinct or obscure and joined into different types of areoles, these with included veinlets, mostly ending with an adaxial hydathode. Sori orbicular, borne at ends of included veinlets, in 1 to several rows on each side of main veins, sometimes confluent into linear coenosori, exindusiate, sometimes with stellate paraphyses. Sporangia sessile to long stalked. Spore elliptic, variously ornamented. x = 37.

About 60 species: mostly in tropical Asia extending north to the Himalaya, C China, and Japan, east to New Zealand and Henderson Island plus five species in Africa and Madagascar; 32 species (six endemic) in China.

(Authors: Lin Youxing (林尤兴), Zhang Xianchun (张宪春); Peter H. Hovenkamp)