Aspidium prescottianum Wallich ex Mettenius var. castaneum C. B. Clarke, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, Bot. 1: 510. 1880; Polystichum prescottianum (Wallich ex Mettenius) T. Moore var. castaneum (C. B. Clarke) Beddome.

Plants summer-green. Rhizome erect, densely covered with lanceolate dark brown scales. Fronds 24-30 cm; stipe stramineous, 6-9 cm, ca. 3 mm in diam. at base, lower part persistent, with lanceolate and linear light brown scales, mixed with ovate and lanceolate blackish brown scales. Lamina bipinnatifid, linear-lanceolate or linear-oblanceolate, 20-30 × 2-3 cm, slightly contracted at base, acuminate; rachis without proliferous bulbils, both surfaces with linear light brown scales, abaxially mixed with lanceolate blackish brown scales. Pinnae 24-38 pairs, alternate, attached at right angles to rachis, approximate, slightly distant from basal pairs, sessile, ovate or oblong, basal pairs deltoid-ovate, middle pairs ca. 1.6 cm × 7-8 mm, bases obliquely and broadly cuneate, auriculate acroscopically, pinnatifid to middle of pinnae or slightly more to pinna rachis, apices obtuse or nearly rounded. Lobes 4-6 pairs, nearly opposite, slightly ascendant, nearly approximate, broadly obovate to oblong, apices nearly rounded or acute; both surfaces with linear light brown microscales; frond texture papery; venation pinnate on lobes, indistinct on both surfaces. Sori on upper pinnae from middle of lamina upward, in 1 row on each side of pinna rachis; indusia present, subentire.

Alpine meadows, shrubs; 3200-4600 m. W Sichuan, Xizang, NW Yunnan [N India, N Myanmar].