Vegetative reproduction by stolons or short branching of the rhizome. Rhizome rarely prostrate and creeping; clad in dense black paleae. Fertile and sterile fronds similar to moderately dimorphic. Fronds more or less erect or sterile fronds sometimes inclined to prostrate; harsh; lamina 11-60 cm long. Stipes and raches bearing brown scales which are more persistent at the stipe base but are often shed; pubescent. Lower pinnae attached by costae, sometimes with auricles developed, or very rarely adnate to the rachis as in D. aspera, lowest pair rarely longer than the pairs immediately above them; middle pinnae usually completely, but often partly, adnate, occasionally decurrent, rarely auriculate (see Fig. 1d); upper pinnae adnate to decurrent. Pinnae c. 20-50 pairs or subopposite; middle pinnae rounded, acute or acuminate at apex. Terminal pinna 0.3-5.5 cm long ( (1/3 -) 1/9-- 1/43 of frond length). Longest pinnae 0.5-10 cm long, 2.5-10 mm wide. Distance between middle pinnae 1-8 mm (½-2 × pinna width). Sori in one row, a second row often partly to nearly completely developed; discrete to more or less confluent, sometimes covering pinna midrib. Indusium c. 2 mm long, rarely less, more or less linear.

Differt a D. media ssp. media quod transitio a pinnis costalibus ad pinnas decurrentes gradata est.