Plants 25-45 cm tall. Rhizome shortly elongated, 2-3 mm in diam., in cross section with many scattered sclerenchyma strands; phyllopodia up to 0.5 cm apart, lateral buds basal on phyllopodia. Scales pseudopeltate, ca. 2 × 1 mm, dentate. Fronds monomorphic, stipitate; stipe 8-22 cm; lamina widest below middle, 15-25 × 3.5-5 cm, base rounded-cuneate, apex attenuate to long caudate. Hydathodes distinct, superficial. Indument persistent, dimorphic, dense, light grayish brown; upper layer with sparse hairs with appressed, narrow rays, ca. 0.5 mm in diam., and sparse, similar but larger and darker hairs, lower layer with dense woolly rays. Sori superficial, without central bundle of paraphyses. Sporangia stalked.

Hovenkamp included Pyrrosia similis as a synonym of P. bonii, but P. similis has significantly smaller rhizome scales (ca. 2 × 1 mm as opposed to 6.5-11 × 0.7-1.3 mm) and an apparently different indumentum with appressed narrow rays and two sizes of hairs.

● On open calcareous rocks or in forest soils; 700-1200 m. Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan.