Rhizome: brittle, dichotomously branched, 1-2 mm diameter, covered with dark brown rhizoids, but often lost in herbarium specimens. Aerial shoot: simple, pendulous, (4-)8-12(-20) cm long; sporophylls spirally arranged, leaves distichously arranged; maturing in one growing season and terminating in a large appendage slightly shorter, equal to, or longer than the largest leaves developed. Leaves: 2-3 per cm of stem, sub-coriaceous to coriaceous, margin often thickened; dorsiventral, the "upper" surface shiny or glossy deep green, the "lower" surface dull green covered with stomata; shape ovate to ovate-oblong, apex acute or sometimes ± obtuse, mucro short, thick, 1-1.5 mm long; (0.6-) 0.9-1.18 (-2.5) cm long (excl. mucro), (2-) 3-6 (-8) mm broad. Sporophylls: (3-) 4-5 (-6) per cm of stem usually restricted to the lower half of the shoot although in small specimens they may occur throughout. Synangium: small 2-4 mm long; 1-2 mm high at point of attachment; lobes equal or the proximal one slightly smaller ± globular, yellowish brown at maturity, persistent. Spores: pale yellow released in a mass, anisopolar, bilateral, monolete, foveolate, concavo-convex, (50-) 59 (-72) mcm long, (17-) 24 (-30) mcm broad (longitudinal plane). See Figs 3, 6, 9, Table 1.