Rhizome shortly trailing, 4-10 mm wide, covered in dark brown scales, linear-deltate to deltate-attenuate; scales 2-4 mm long, with denticulate margin; leaves very close and distichous, most 15-30(-50) cm long; petioles 3-8 cm long, almost black, slightly pubescent; leaf surface oblong to linear-oblong, usually 12-25 cm long, 3-5 cm wide; rhachis also almost black, slightly pubescent, with a few brown scales, smaller underneath; segments numerous, united perpendicular to rachis, with ligules 2-3 mm wide with ciliolate margin; costas almost black, veins dark; final distal sori on forks of veins with simple claviform paraphyses; sporangia generally with 2- or more celled setae.