Etymology From the Greek aspidotes, shield-bearer, referring to the shield-like false indusia.

Description Rhizome: short-creeping, scales brown to black or often bicolored with dark central stripe.
Frond: evergreen, monomorphic or nearly so.
Stipe: dark reddish brown, with single groove, glabrous, vascular bundles: 1.
Blade: 3-pinnate at base, or more, triangular, leathery , glabrous.
segments linear, veins obscure, free.
Sori: sporangia, submarginal, continuous along length of segments except at apex, indusium: false, inrolled margin, broad, thin, dry, sporangia: dark brown.

Distinctive Characteristics Separated from Cheilanthes based on its elongate, distantly dentate, glabrous, pointed segments with striate shining surface and on its broad, thin, dry indusia.