Hymenophyllum capillare var. alternialatum (Pic. Serm.) Faden

capillare: "capillus": hair, the fronds are hairy; alternialatum: alternating wings, probably referring to the alternate arrangement of the pinnae

Rhizome slender, wiry, widely creeping. Stipe 15-50 mm long, wiry, not winged but sparsely clothed with fine stellate hairs. Lamina pendulous, oblong-linear, up to 55 × 3 cm, 2- or 3-pinnatifid, membranous. Pinnae pinnatifid into up to 7 linear lobes, apices rounded, margins entire, both surfaces set with stellate hairs with long radiating arms. Rhachis not winged, hairy. Sori at the apices of the lobes in the distal area of each pinna, obconic with rounded indusial valves set with stellate hairs.

From south-central Africa extending to central, east and north-east Africa; also Ghana, Madagascar and the Comoro and Mascarene islands.