Rhizome densely covered with tiny, pale brown hairs. Fronds distant, pendent, 5–15 cm long. Stipe thread-like, not winged. Lamina irregularly shaped, pale green, delicate and translucent; pinnae sometime very long and hanging almost parallel to main rachis; lower pinnae often small and widely spaced; ultimate segments short and broad, 2–6 mm wide; margin wavy or broadly crenate. Sori borne singly on short lateral lobes at base of pinnae, immersed in lamina; indusium narrowly trumpet shaped, 2–4 mm long; receptacle fine, projecting more than 10 mm out from indusium at maturity.
VVP, GipP, OtP, CVU, GGr, EGL, EGU, WPro, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, MonT, HFE, VAlp. Also Qld, NSW, Tas. (including Cape Barren Is. and Flinders Is.). New Zealand. Growing on logs, trunks of trees and tree-ferns (particularly Dicksonia antarctica, which can have its trunk completely covered by this filmy fern), and widespread in the southern half of Victoria.
Some small fronds may have a broad, fan-shaped lamina.
