Plants up to 12 cm tall. Rhizomes erect, short; scales dark brown in center to pale brown at margin, ovate-triangular, margins sparsely toothed. Fronds on petioles 2-4 cm long, brown; blades narrowly elliptic, 5-8 cm wide, 1-1.6 cm base, reduced towards the frond base, subleathery, dark green to brownish green after drying, pinnatipartite with 6-8 pairs of segments, segments alternate, triangular, bases adnate to rachis, margins entire or slightly sinuate, tips obtuse, upper surfaces subglabrous, lower surfaces densely covered with scales; scales brownish, ovate-lanceolate to ovate, stomatal guard cell length 40-48 µm; veins obscure, nothocatadromous (anadromous base pattern but several middle pinnae with their basal vein pair catadromous), anastomosing and forming subhexagonal submarginal areoles. Sori linear, usually on acroscopic secondary veinlets and in middle between costa and margin; indusia rudimentary. Spores with lophate (costate) perispore, average exospore length 37-42 µm. Plants sexual tetraploid: 2n = 144.
Asplenium ceterach grows in dry rock crevices at 1400-2600 m (in China). .