Primarily terrestrial, creeping fern with long, branched dorsiventral rhizomes, rooting at intervals, rhizome densely clothed with scales, diameter without scales 2.2–11 mm. Mature rhizome scales peltate, triangular-ovate, gradually tapering to apex, bicolorous, centre red-brown, margins yellowbrown or paler becoming darker towards base, 13– 16.5 mm long and 2.7–2.9 mm wide, margin fringed with multiseptate hairs and toothed from the base to the apex or with multiseptate hairs restricted to th e apex of the scale. Stipe 1.7–30 cm long, 0.8–2 mm diameter, mature stipe stout, rigid, glabrous except for scales at the base, adaxially grooved, articulated to the rhizome; stipes spaced along the rhizome in two scattered rows 0.5–5 cm apart or sometimes more. Lamina 2.4–28 cm long and 2.9–29 cm wide, tripinnate and then pinnatifid, deltoid-pentangular, often leathery, almost glabrous, lowest primar y pinna longer and broader than others, the basal basiscopic secondary pinnae greatly enlarged, 0.6– 8.7 cm long and 0.3–6.1 cm wide. Larger ultimate sterile segments inciso-lobate to toothed, often each lobe or tooth indented or rounded, veins free, simply forked so that each tooth or lobe is supplied with a vein which does not reach margin, hydathodes sometimes present, false veins either absent or, when present, faint to conspicuous, between true veins. Larger ultimate fertile segments bearing one to several sori per segment, often narrowed below and distinctly dilated above, to accommodate sori, univeined forking into veinlets with sori regularly at junction of veinlets; apex of lamina bearing single sorus, truncate, notched or bidentate. Indusia cupshaped, slightly longer than wide, c. 1.6 mm × 1.2 mm sometimes reaching 3 mm long and 1.4 mm wide. Spores monolete, bilaterally symmetrical, elliptical with a verrucate to tuberculate sculpture .

Rhizome without scales (3 .6–)6 .4– 7 .0(–1 1) mm in diameter, mature rhizome scales up to 12.5 mm long and 2.2 mm wide, margin fringe d with multiseptate hairs and toothed from the base to the apex. Stipe length (6.2–)10.7–12.1(–21.0) cm Lamina (5.1–) 11.3–12.9(–21.0) cm long and (6.1–)14.9–17.0(–28.0) cm wide, basal basiscopic secondary pinnae (2.2–)4.4–5.1(–8.4) cm long and (1.1–)2.6–3.0(–4.8) cm wide, false veins frequently absent, when present usually faint and nearly alway s extending only half way to the junction of the true veins. Larger ultimate fertile segments usually bearing a single sorus and occasionally two or more per segment. Indusia to 3 mm long and 1.8 mm wide.

Mature rhizome without scales (2.2–)4.5–4.9(–8.2) mm in diameter, rhizome scales up to 10.2 mm long and 2.1 mm wide, with multiseptate hairs restricted to the apex and toothed from the base to the apex. Stipe length (1.7–)9.1– 10.5(–18.4) cm. Lamina (2.4–)10.8–12.3(–28.1) cm long and (2.9–)12.6–22.0(–28.9) cm wide, basal basiscopic secondary pinnae (0.6—)4.3—4.8(—8.1) cm long and (0.3—)2.5—2.9(—6.1) cm wide, false veins frequently present, usually conspicuous and usually extending almost the entire way to the junction of the true veins. Larger ultimate fertile segments usually bearing a single sorus and rarely two or more per segment. Indusia to 1.5 mm long and 1.2 mm wide.

Hoc taxon aDavallia tasmanii subsp. tasmanii tribus particulis differt: venis falsis conspicuis; rhizomate tenuiore; praecipue paucis pilis multicellularibus qui squamarum rhizomatis ab apicibus solis emergunt. Nam pill multicellulares in Davallia tasmanii subsp. tasmanii a base ad apicem squamarum emergunt.