Rhizomes short, erect, apex densely scaly; scales dark brown, linear-lanceolate. Fronds caespitose; fronds ca. 50 cm; stipe blackish brown, upward light red-purple, ca. 22 cm, ca. 2 mm in diam., base similarly scaly, upward glabrate; lamina 2-pinnate, ovate-lanceolate, up to 35 × ca. 15 cm, base slightly narrowed, apex acuminate; pinnae ca. 10 pairs, alternate, spreading, sessile, lower pinnae falcate-lanceolate, up to 10 × ca. 1.7 cm, base truncate, alongside rachis, pinnate, apex caudate-acuminate; pinnules 16-20 pairs, alternate, approximate, ascending, sessile; lower pinnules suboblong, 8-9 × 3-4 mm at middle, base inequilateral, truncate, somewhat auriculate on acroscopic side, cuneate on basiscopic side, margin prominently or finely toothed or shallowly lobed, apex obtuse, obtuse-rounded, or acute; veins inconspicuous adaxially, visible abaxially, pinnate in pinnules, lateral veins ca. 7 pairs, lower veins forked, upper veins simple, but pinnate in auriculate lobes. Lamina papery when dried, pale greenish brown, glabrate on both surfaces; rachis and costae pale red-purple, glabrate abaxially, with subulate spines on adaxial side at base of costa or costule. Sori oblong, 3 or 4 pairs per pinnule, subcostular; indusia brownish, oblong, membranous, entire, persistent. Perispore surface without folds.

Athyrium roseum differs from related species in the lamina narrowly ovate or lanceolate, acuminate; the pinnae sessile or very shortly stalked; the pinnules suboblong, obtuse or acute at apex, unlobed or shallowly lobed, toothed at margin, inequilateral at base, cuneate on the basiscopic side, subauriculate, truncate and parallel to costa on the acroscopic side; spines prominent on the adaxial side of costae and the distal part of rachis; and the rachis and costae shiny, glabrate abaxially. Athyrium roseum is most similar to A. mengtzeense but differs by the lamina and costae glabrate on the abaxial surface.

● Mountain forests; 1600-2400 m. Yunnan.