Rhizomes short, erect, densely clothed with brown, linear-lanceolate scales at apices and stipe bases. Fronds caespitose; fertile fronds (25-)50-60(-90) cm; stipe pale stramineous, (15-)35-40(-45) cm, 2.5(-5) mm in diam., upward glabrate; lamina 2-pinnate-pinnatifid, deltoid-ovate, (15-)25-30(-45) × (12-)15-20(-40) cm, base broadest, apex acuminate; pinnae (8-)13 pairs; lower pinnae opposite, upper pinnae alternate, ascending, with stalk (2-)5(-10) mm; basal pinnae larger, ovate-lanceolate, up to (5-)12(-20) × (2-)4(-5) cm, base subequilateral, slightly narrowed (upper pinnae not narrowed at base), pinnate-pinnatifid, apex acuminate; pinnules (8-)15 pairs, alternate, ascending, lower pinnules with short stalk ca. 2 mm, ovate-oblong, 1.5-2.5(-3) × ca. 1 cm at base, base inequilateral, truncate and somewhat auriculate on acroscopic side, cuneate on basiscopic side, pinnatifid to 1/2 or more, apex obtuse-rounded; pinnule segments 5-9 pairs, oblique, oblong or ovate-oblong, basal acroscopic segments larger, ca. 7 × 3-4 mm, with few shallow teeth at apex; veins inconspicuous adaxially, visible abaxially, pinnate in lower segments, forked in upper segments. Lamina thinly papery when dried, pale greenish brown, glabrate on both surfaces; rachis and costae stramineous, with sparse brownish short glandular hairs abaxially, with needlelike spines on adaxial side at base of costa, costule, and midrib. Sori oblong or shortly linear, 3 or 4 pairs per pinnule, close to midrib; indusia brownish, oblong or shortly linear, membranous, entire, persistent. Perispore surface without folds. 2n = 160.

Evergreen broad-leaved forests in valleys, rain forests, shaded shrub groves; 500-2600 m. Guangxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Yunnan [N India, Japan, Nepal].