Aspidium submite Christ, Nuovo Giorn. Bot. Ital., n.s., 4: 93. 1897; Polystichum paradoxum Ching & Y. P. Hsu.

Plants summer-green. Rhizome erect, densely covered with lanceolate brown scales. Fronds 12-30 cm; stipe stramineous, 3-12 cm, 1-2 mm in diam. at base, scaly; scales brown, lanceolate and linear, mixed with larger scales; large scales lanceolate, blackish brown at middle, margins brown. Lamina bipinnatipartite, lanceolate, 10-27 × 2-5 cm, slightly contracted toward base, long acuminate; rachis without proliferous bulbils, stramineous, both surfaces densely covered with lanceolate and linear brown scales, sometimes lower part mixed with lanceolate scales abaxially, dark brown at middle, margins brown. Pinnae 12-24 pairs, alternate, attached at right angles to rachis or slightly ascendant, shortly stalked, ovate or lanceolate, middle pairs 1-3 cm × 6-10 mm, bases obliquely broadly cuneate, auriculate acroscopically, pinnatipartite, apices acute, rarely acuminate. Lobes 2-10 pairs, alternate, ascendant, obliquely oblong or rhombic-ovate, 4-6 × 2-3 mm, bases obliquely cuneate and decurrent to costa forming narrow wings, auricles inconspicuous, with small acute forward-pointing teeth, acute or obtuse; abaxially covered with filiform brown microscales, adaxially glabrous; frond texture papery; venation pinnate on lobes, indistinct on both surfaces. Sori in 1 row on each side of midrib of lobe; indusia present, erose.

● Forests; 1200-2500 m. Gansu (Kangxian, Tianshui), Henan (Songxian), Shaanxi (Qinling), N and W Sichuan.