Microlepia subg. Tapeinidium C. Presl, Epimel. Bot. 96. 1851; Protolindsaya Copeland.

Plants terrestrial. Rhizomes shortly to long creeping, protostelic or rarely solenostelic, covered with brown narrow scales. Fronds approximate or distant; stipe dark stramineous, shallowly sulcate on adaxial surface, glabrous; lamina 1- or 2-pinnate, slightly leathery; upper pinnae gradually becoming smaller into a coadunate apex, sometimes a terminal pinna present; pinnae or ultimate pinnules or segments linear; veins free, once or twice forked on ultimate segments. Sori submarginal, terminal on a single vein; annulus consisting of 13-16 thickened cells; indusia cup-shaped, basally and partially adnate laterally. Spores ellipsoid to subglobose, monolete.

Seventeen species: Asia and the W Pacific; one species in China.

(Authors: Dong Shiyong (董仕勇); Lin Sujuan (林苏娟), Julie Barcelona)