Rhizome long-creeping. Fronds clustered, to about 30 cm long or more, mostly erect, stiff. Blade divided once, narrowly linear to linear lanceolate in outline. Segments in 15-40 pairs, each 3-6 cm long, 1-1.5 cm wide, tapering to the tip, often sickle-shaped, dark green, with short stalks about 1 mm long. Sori continuous on margin except at the base and sometimes tip of the segments.
var. nana Hook., from E Qld, NSW and Vic., has much smaller fronds with the segments shorter and narrower.
Will tolerate cool conditions.
E Australia, Lord Howe I. and NZ to India.
Elongated, sickle-shaped segments.
Pellaea hastata (L.f.) Link from the Cape of South Africa is sometimes offered in the trade, it has a short-creeping rhizome, the segments sometimes divided, hardly sickle-shaped and the sori covered by the broad green wrinkled and wavy margin that is bristly when mature.
Pellaea calidirupium Brownsey & Lovis, a recently described species sometimes available in nurseries, is somewhat intermediate between P. falcata and P. rotundifolia; it is from dry, rocky areas of New Zealand and possibly inland Australia and has widely spaced, stalked lower segments with sori continuous across the segment tips.
Source: (1995). Adiantaceae. In: . 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.
