These are pinnate, with eight to twenty toothed pinnules up to 4 cm (1.6 in) long on each side, the longest being in the middle of the blade.

[2][4] A global phylogeny of Asplenium published in 2020 divided the genus into eleven clades,[5] which were given informal names pending further taxonomic study.

[6] This species grows in Western Europe, occurring mainly in the mountains of Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland and Austria.

It is a rupicolous (rock-dwelling) species growing in cracks and fissures in limestone crags in cool and shady positions.

[1] Some populations may be threatened by quarrying, mining or other human activities, but the IUCN notes that the main threat it faces is likely to be from climate change; a rise in average temperatures or prolonged droughts may affect it adversely.