Rhizomatous plants which die down in summer but recover fast after first rains. Fronds closely spaced, erect to sub-arching, 2- to deeply 3-pinnatifid; stipe is blackish-brown, wiry and glabrous; basal pinnae are largest, ultimate lobes oblong to round, pinnae have prominent veins, glabrous on both surfaces, margins bluntly serrate to crenate; sori are small, borne marginally near vein endings and are protected by a recurving pinnae which gives the pinnae their dentate margins; indusium discontinuous.

Latin: capensis refers to the Cape of Good Hope where this fern was first collected by Carl Thunberg while he was en route to Japan in the service of the Dutch East India Company.