Plants generally terrestrial. Stems short-creeping or ascending, stolons absent. Leaves monomorphic, usually dying back in winter. Petiole ± 0.5 times length of blade or less, base swollen and dentate, persisting as trophopod over winter or not; vascular bundles 2, lateral, lunate in cross section. Blade lanceolate to elliptic or oblanceolate, 1--3-pinnate-pinnatifid, gradually reduced distally to confluent, pinnatifid apex, herbaceous. Pinnae not articulate to rachis, segment margins serrulate or crenate; proximal pinnae often reduced, sessile to short-petiolulate, ± equilateral; costae adaxially grooved, grooves continuous from rachis to costae to costules; indument absent or of linear to lanceolate scales or 1-celled glands abaxially. Veins free, simple or forked. Sori in 1 row between midrib and margin, round to elongate, straight or hooked at distal end, or horseshoe-shaped; indusia shaped like sori, persistent, attached laterally or with narrow sinus, or indusia absent. Spores brownish, rugose. x = 40. In species outside the flora stems are sometimes long-creeping to erect, with leaves radially or dorsiventrally arranged.