Aspidium erythrosorum D. C. Eaton in Perry, Narr. Exp. China 2: 330. 1856; Aspidium filix-mas (Linnaeus) Swartz var. erythrosorum (D. C. Eaton) Christ; Dryopteris bulligera Ching; D. distantipinna Ching & Z. Y. Liu; D. linyingensis Ching & C. F. Zhang; D. oblongipinnula Ching & P. S. Chiu; D. oppositipinna Ching & Z. Y. Liu; D. paraerythrosora Ching & C. F. Zhang; D. pseudoerythrosora Ching & C. F. Zhang (1983), not Kodama (1913); D. remotipinnula Ching & C. F. Zhang; D. sinoerythrosora Ching & K. H. Shing; D. squamistipes Ching & Z. Y. Liu (1984), not (C. B. Clarke) C. Christensen (1905); Lastrea erythrosora (D. C. Eaton) Moore; Nephrodium erythrosorum (D. C. Eaton) Hooker; N. filix-mas (Linnaeus) Richard var. erythrosorum (D. C. Eaton) Christ ex Matsumune.

Rhizome ascending, 3-4 cm in diam. Fronds caespitose. Stipes stramineous or light castaneous, 20-30 cm, 3-4 mm in diam., densely scaly at base; scales castaneous with a brown margin, lanceolate, 1-1.5 cm × 1-2 mm, entire. Lamina oblong-lanceolate, 40-60 × 15-25 cm, bipinnate. Pinnae 10-15 pairs, opposite or subopposite, lanceolate, 15-20 × 4-6 cm, 6-8 cm apart, remote. Pinnules 10-15 pairs, ascending, lanceolate, 2-3 cm × 8-12 mm, serrulate or pinnatilobate; basal basiscopic pinnules on lowest pinnae less than half as long as next. Segments distinctly ascending, 1- or 2-toothed at apex. Rachis sparsely covered with lanceolate, dark brown scales, pinna rachis and costa densely covered with brown, bullate scales. Veins pinnate, obscure abaxially. Lamina herbaceous, subglabrous adaxially, scaly abaxially. Sori in 1 row or scattered on either side of costa, nearer costa than to margin; indusia reddish at center, pale brown on edges, reniform, entire, persistent.

The correct placement of the following varieties is not known: Aspidium erythrosorum var. amoyense Christ (Monsunia 1: 80. 1900), A. erythrosorum var. obtusum Christ (Bull. Soc. Bot. France 52(Mém. 1): 40. 1905), and A. erythrosorum var. souliei Christ (Bull. Soc. Bot. France 52(Mém. 1): 39. 1905).

Subtropical broad-leaved evergreen forests. Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Japan, Korea].