Rhizomes short, erect, apex densely clothed with dark brown or blackish brown, shiny, broadly lanceolate scales. Fronds caespitose; fertile fronds ca. 60 cm; stipe blackish brown at base, upward pale green-stramineous, shiny, 30-35 cm, base ca. 1.5 mm in diam., similarly densely scaly, upward glabrate; lamina 2-pinnate, oblong, 28-30 × 18-22 cm, base not narrowed, broadly rounded, apex acuminate; pinnae ca. 12 pairs, alternate, ascending, with stalk up to 5 mm; basal pinnae narrowly oblong, up to 12 cm × ca. 5 cm, base subequilateral, rounded-cuneate, pinnate, apex long acuminate; pinnules ca. 12 pairs, alternate, anadromous, subspreading, separate from each other, lower pinnules shortly stalked (stalk ca. 1.5 mm), upper pinnules sessile; basal basiscopic pinnules longer, narrowly oblong, up to 3.5 × ca. 1.3 mm, base inequilateral, truncate and somewhat auriculate on acroscopic side, cuneate on basiscopic side, decurrent, pinnatipartite, apex obtuse; pinnule segments 7 or 8 pairs, slightly oblique, approximate, narrowly oblong, basal acroscopic segments larger, nearly free, 7-8 × ca. 3 mm, pinnatilobate, small segments with 2 or 3 teeth at apex; upper segments smaller, 5-6 × ca. 2 mm, obtuse-truncate and with 4-6 teeth at apex, margin subentire; other pinnules smaller, oblong or oblong-lanceolate, apex obtuse-rounded or acute; second basal pinnae slightly narrowed, ca. 4 cm wide at base; pinnules ca. 2 cm, base subequilateral, truncate on acroscopic side, cuneate on basiscopic side, pinnatipartite, apex obtuse-rounded or acute; pinnule segments 4 or 5 pairs, oblong, truncate and with 4-6 teeth at apex; third basal and upper pinnae similar to second basal pinnae but gradually shortened; veins visible on both surfaces, pinnate in segments, lateral veins 2-4 pairs, simple. Lamina herbaceous when dried, greenish brown, glabrate on both surfaces; rachis and costae stramineous, glabrate abaxially, with subulate spines on adaxial side at base of costae or costules. Sori oblong, 1 per segment, 3-5 sori on basal acroscopic segments, costular; indusia brown, oblong, occasionally J-shaped, membranous, margin erose, persistent. Perispore surface without folds.

● Coniferous forests; ca. 2600 m. SE Xizang (Mêdog, Namjagbarwa).