Fronds clustered; sterile fronds 10–25 (rarely to 55) cm long, spreading, membranous; fertile fronds 15–40 cm long, erect, harsher. Stipe much shorter than lamina, usually pale, darker towards base, smooth; scales scattered, sessile, light brown and narrow. Lamina pinnate, mid-green; pinnae in lower half attached by midribs only, clearly separated, stalked, small, broadly oblong, apices rounded, bases often strongly lobed; pinnae in upper half sessile, much longer than broad, widened bases contiguous, close-set; pinnae near apex often fused into tail-like structure; pinnae on fertile fronds very narrow; areoles narrow, in a single row each side of midvein. Rachis smooth, pale, often with short hairs and few linear scales. Sori narrowly oblong, more than 1.5 mm long, in single row on each side of midvein, often becoming confluent.
VVP, GipP, OtP, WaP, CVU, GGr, DunT, EGL, EGU, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, VAlp. Also WA, NT, SA, Qld, NSW, Tas. Typically occurs on steep creek-banks or in seepage areas in forests of southern Victoria, from near Hamilton in the west to the NSW border beyond Mallacoota in the east.
