Greek stenos - narrow, chlaina - cloak; referring to the narrow, fertile segments covered with sori on the undersurface.Greek stenos - narrow, chlaina - cloak; referring to the narrow, fertile segments covered with sori on the undersurface.

Large ferns with rhizome climbing or trailing, scaly at first. Sterile and fertile fronds different. Fronds arching, well separated on the rhizome, evergreen. Blade divided 1 or 2 times. Sterile segments on branches that are distinctly jointed to the midrib (except the terminal ones); there is a gland on the upper edge of each segment near the stalk. Fertile segments narrow and more or less linear. Sori covering the lower segment surface. Indusia absent.

5 spp. of the tropics and subtropics from Africa to the Pacific (1 species in Australia ).

Spores or division of the rhizome.

Climbing or trailing rhizome; segments large, jointed to axis and with a small gland on upper margin near stalk; indusia absent.

Holttum (1971).

Source: Spencer, R. (1995). Blechnaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 1, Ferns, conifers & their allies. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.