Etymology Decipiens means deceptive or not obvious, but we don't have a clue as to what part of it is not obvious.

Description Rhizome: erect, scaly.
Frond: 50 cm high by 10 cm wide, deciduous in colder areas, monomorphic, blade/stipe ratio: 3:1.
Stipe: grooved, vascular bundles: 3-7 in a c-shaped pattern.
Blade: 1-pinnate, lanceolate, leathery, linear to ovate scales below, absent above.
Pinnae: 15 to 18 pair, anadromous on the basal pinnae, the lobe closest to the rachis separate, margins crenate; costae grooved above, continuous from rachis to costae; margins margins crenate; veins free, forked.
Sori: round, in 1-3 rows between midrib and margin, indusium: reniform, at a sinus, sporangia: brownish.

Culture Habitat: on forest floor or at edge of lowland forests. Distribution: Japan, China. Hardy to -25°C, USDA Zone 5.

Distinctive Characteristics bronzy new growth

Synonyms
Aspidium decipiens Luerss.
Nephrodium decipiense Hook.