[1] Fronds are clustered, 5–7 per rhizome, erect-arching; stipes (35)49–75 cm long, 4–6 mm in diameter medially, about as long as the blades, adaxially grooved, reddish brown to stramineous, entire length clothed in dense, persistent, spreading, lustrous, light to dark brown or reddish brown, linear-oblong to linear-lanceolate twisted scales to c. 20 × 3 mm, margins entire or subentire and fringed with shortstipitate glands, bases darkened at point of attachment, mixed with smaller bristlelike and hairlike scales, surfaces bearing short, gland-tipped hairs, scales progressively smaller and finer distally and on rachis, stipes of older fronds punctate with dark scale bases; blades thickly chartaceous, dark above green when fresh, paler beneath, 50–100 × 32–66 cm, ovate-deltate, 3-pinnate to 3-pinnate-pinnatifid at least in lower half, distally mostly 2-pinnate-pinnatifid; rachises stramineous to light brown, densely scaly with persistent medium to dark brown, spreading bristlelike scales to 9 × 1 mm, margins entire or with sparse sessile glands, mixed with short glandular hairs, rachises of older fronds punctuate with dark brown scale bases.

[1] The pinnae are opposite to subopposite, (11–)13–20 on a side, spreading, ovate-oblong to linear-oblong, apex acuminate, lowermost pinnae the largest, 20–33 × 11–19 cm, with 11–16 pairs of pinnules, slightly inequilateral, basiscopic basal pinnules 7–10.5 cm long, acroscopic basal pinnules shorter, 4–8.5 cm long, lowermost pinnules usually the largest, distal pinnae stalked 3–6 mm becoming sessile, apices pinnatifid; largest ultimate pinnules 12–19 × 4–8 mm, spaced 5–10 mm distant, obtuse to truncate at apices, margins crenate or cut c. 1/4 –2/3 toward costule, adaxially glabrous, abaxially glabrous except for scattered small, spreading, brown linear scales on rachises; veins forking 1–2 times, scarcely visible to visible on both surfaces, depressed adaxially and prominulous abaxially; each fertile pinnule usually with 1–4 pairs of inframedial sori.

; in wet forests dominated by Crossostylis biflora, Freycinetia spp., Hibiscus tiliaceus L., Metrosideros collina, Pandanus tectorius, and with associates including Fagraea berteroana A.

pubigerum Sleumer; in montane wet forests of Metrosideros collina and Pterophylla marquesana var.

The species is proposed in IUCN Red List Category Endangered (EN): B2a, B2b (i–iii): B2: total area of occupancy less than 5000 km2 (c. 904 km2).

[1] The suitable habitat for Dryopteris macropholis on Nuku Hiva (c. 340 km2), Ua Huka (c. 83 km2), Ua Pou (c. 105 km2), Hiva Oa (c. 315 km2), and Tahuata (c. 61 km2) is restricted to mountain slopes and summits, indicated as an endangered environment that is threatened by human activity (deforestation and fire), feral animals, and invasive plants, reducing the extent of the forest.