Rhizome erect to oblique, short, covered with light brown, papery scales. Fronds crowded, erect, 7–15 (rarely as little as 2) cm tall, 0.4–0.7 (rarely to 0.9) cm wide, firm in texture; stipe very short, winged, with fine, minute hairs towards base. Lamina simple, narrowly oblong to oblanceolate with long-tapering base, dull green, margins entire; midvein prominent (with scattered hairs), lateral veins obscure, free. Sori in upper two-thirds of frond, usually reaching apex, linear to oblong, in single row on each side of midvein and obliquely angled to it, 8–30 pairs per frond, slightly sunken; spores mostly 22–29 µm diam.
Wim, VVP, GipP, OtP, Gold, CVU, GGr, EGL, EGU, WPro, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, MonT, HFE, VAlp. Relatively common in shaded, moist forests, frequently growing on mossy logs and tree-fern trunks.
In rocky crevices at higher altitudes, plants may only reach 2–3 cm tall, then superficially resembling N. crassior.
