n = >30 univalents + >60 bivalents

Vegetative reproduction by short branching of the rhizome. Rhizome short, erect, or inclined, clad in dark paleae, invested with the bases of fallen stipes. Fertile and sterile fronds dimorphic. Fertile fronds erect; sterile fronds more or less prostrate, smaller, pinnae broader and somewhat shorter. Fronds harsh; mid to dark green; red when young, colour better developed in exposed situations; lamina c. 15-45 cm long. Stipes and raches bearing dark brown scales, which fall with age except at the stipe base; pubescent. Lower and middle pinnae sometimes auriculate, attached to rachis by costae only; upper adnate to decurrent. (18-) 22-30 pairs or subopposite. Terminal pinna 1-3 (-4) cm long (1/9-1/27 of frond length). Longest pinnae 1.5-3 (-5) cm long, 2.5-3 (-4) mm wide. Distance between middle pinnae 4-10 mm (1.6-4 × pinna width); middle pinnae rounded to acute at apex. Sori in one row, rarely fragments of a second row developed, more or less discrete then more or less confluent when mature, sometimes covering midrib. Indusium c. 2 mm long. It differs from D. caudata in the presence of rachis scales and the greater number of pinnae. From D. media ssp. australis it differs in having the middle pinnae not sessile, but attached by the costa.

Reproductio vegetativa brevibus rhizomatis ramificationibus. Rhizoma breve, erectum vel obliquum, paleis fuscis vestitum, basibus stipitum caducorum tectum. Frondes fertiles sterilesque dimorphae. Frondes fertiles erectae; frondes steriles minores plus minusve prostratae, pinnis latioribus parumque brevioribus indutae. Frondes asperae; viridulae vel pervirides; juvenes saepe rubrae, colore in apertis locis clariore facto; lamina c. 15-45 cm longitudine. Stipites rhachidesque fuscas squamas ferentes, quae senescentes praeter squamas ad basim stipitum caducae sunt; pubescentes. Pinnae inferiores mediaeque auriculatae interdum, per solam costam ad rhachim affixae, superiores sessiles vel decurrentes. (18-) 22-30 paribus vel subparibus. Pinna terminalis 1-3 (-4) cm longitudine (1/9-1/27 longitudine frondis). Pinnae longissimae 1.5-3 (-5) cm longitudine, 2.5-3 (-4) mm latitudine. Spatium inter pinnas medias 4-10 mm (1-6-4 × latitudine pinnarum); apices pinnarum mediarum rotundi vel acutati. Son in una serie, raro fragmentis seriei secundae crescentibus; plus minusve discreti, tune plus minusve confluentes ut maturescent, interdum costam pinnae tegentes. Indusium c. 2 mm longitudine. Differt a D. caudata quod adsunt rhachidis squamae et pinnae plures. A D. media ssp. australis differt quod pinnae media non sessiles sunt sed per costam ad rhachim affixae sunt.