Trichomanes strigosum Thunberg in Murray, Syst. Veg., ed. 14, 941. 1784; Davallia japonica (Swartz) Kunze; D. strigosa (Thunberg) Kunze; Dennstaedtia strigosa (Thunberg) J. Smith; Dicksonia japonica Swartz; D. strigosa (Thunberg) Thunberg; Microlepia formosana Ching; M. japonica (Swartz) C. Presl; M. kwangtungensis B. S. Wang; M. neostrigosa Ching.

Plants terrestrial, 80-110 cm tall. Rhizome long and creeping, ca. 4[-5] mm in diam., with dense, long, gray-brown, acicular hairs. Fronds distant; stipe brown, ca. 50 cm, ca. 4 mm in diam. at base, basally densely hairy, hairs abscising easily to leave scabrous marks; rachis and rachillae abaxially with dense, short, brown hairs, adaxially glabrous; lamina green or brown when dried, 2-pinnate, oblong in outline, basal pinnae slightly shorter, middle pinnae [20-]50-70[-80] × 15-35 cm, papery, abaxially with sparse, short, gray-brown, stiff hairs, adaxially glabrous, apex acuminate; pinnae 25-35 pairs, alternate, 4-6 cm apart, obliquely spreading, shortly stalked, linear-lanceolate, 15-17 × ca. 3 cm, base asymmetrical, basiscopic pinnae slightly shortened, apex long acuminate; pinnules 25-28 pairs, adjacent, sessile, spreading, variously pinnatifid, nearly rhombiform, 1.4-2 × 0.6-0.8 cm, base asymmetrical, basiscopically narrowly cuneate, ± decurrent, basal acroscopic lobule largest, margin coarsely and irregularly toothed, apex acute. Veins prominent abaxially, obvious adaxially, pinnate or bifurcate. Sori small, near margin of lobes; indusium brown, hemitelioid, with short brown hairs.

Forests; 100-1000 m. Chongqing, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Himalaya, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand; Pacific islands].