Dryopteris hirtisora C. Christensen, Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 26: 277. 1931; D. hirticarpa Ching; Sphaerostephanos hirtisorus (C. Christensen) Holttum; Thelypteris hirtisora (C. Christensen) K. Iwatsuki.

Plants 60-100 cm tall. Rhizomes long creeping, with ovate-lanceolate dark brown scales. Fronds distant; stipes 20-50 cm, dark brown and sparsely scaly at bases, dark stramineous distally; laminae 40-70 × 20-40 cm, bases slightly or not narrowed, apices caudate with a large apical pinna; pinnae 10-15 pairs, stalked, proximal pair abruptly reduced to 2-5 cm or sometimes longer; middle pinnae linear, 10-25 × 1-2 cm, bases broadly cuneate to truncate, lobed to 1/3 toward costae or only serrate, apices long acuminate; segments 30-45 pairs, triangular or oblong, 2-4 × ca. 4 mm, subacute or pointed at apices; veinlets 7-10 pairs, quite oblique, proximal 1 or 2 pairs anastomosing, next 1.5-2.5 pairs running to sinus membrane. Laminae papery, brownish green when dried, on both surfaces with acicular hairs along costae and veins, also with minute hairs between veins abaxially. Sori orbicular, medial; indusia densely hairy. Sporangia bearing several hairs on capsules. Spores with fimbriate wings.

Wet places in forests, semi-open forest margins; 500-1800 m. Guangxi, S Yunnan [Laos, Myanmar, Thailand].