It has only one species, Anchistea virginica (synonym Woodwardia virginica) the Virginia chain fern, which has long creeping, scaly, underground stems or rhizomes giving rise to tall (up to about 4 feet, 120 centimetres) widely separated, deciduous, single leaves.

The lower petiole or stipe is dark purple to black, shiny and swollen, the upper rachis is dull green.

In common with all ferns, A. virginica exhibits a gametophyte stage in its life cycle (alternation of generations) and develops a haploid reproductive prothallus as an independent plant.

[2] Fossils of Anchistea virginica have been described from the Middle Miocene of the U.S. states of Washington and Mississippi, suggesting its range was probably once much more widespread in North America.

A. virginica is mostly found on the Atlantic coastal plain and Piedmont although it also grows in the eastern Great Lakes region as far west as Illinois.