Terrestrial, to 35 (43) cm tall; rhizome short-creeping, with minute, dark, fibrous scales, the petiole bases closely spaced. Leaves few, l-pinnate; petioles 4.5-20 cm long, with a few scales similar to rhizome scales near base; lateral leaflets mostly narrowly lanceolate, gradually long-acuminate, inequilateral at base with the lower proximal edge acute and the upper proximal edge obtuse to truncate and nearly paralleling rachis, 3-12 cm long, l-2 cm wide, irregularly serrate, sometimes with a small auricle on upper side; veins 3- or 4-forked; terminal leaflet pinnatifid. Sori linear along upper branch of lateral veins, slightly curved, nearer midrib than margin, usually on distal side of veins, much less frequently on both sides; indusia thin, broad, ending abruptly. Croat 8643. Occasional, in the forest, especially older forest. Its terrestrial habitat, nonclathrate rhizome scales, and pinnatifid terminal leaflet (unlike the lateral ones) distinguish it from Asplenium falcinellum, which has a similar leaflet shape. A. falcinellum, an epiphyte, has clathrate rhizome scales and a conform terminal leaflet.