Mickelopteris cordata grows from short erect rhizomes covered with brownish narrow scales.

A species of fern native to the Indian subcontinent and other parts of tropical Asia was described in 1828 as Hemionitis cordata.

In 2015, Mazumdar designated a lectotype and an epitype for Asplenium arifolium, and regarded Panagrahi's use of the name Parahemionitis arifolia as acceptable.

[9] In 1997, Christopher R. Fraser-Jenkins regarded Panagrahi's genus name as acceptable, but not the epithet, and called the species Parahemionitis cordata.

[3] Mickelopteris cordata is native to the Indian subcontinent (Assam, Bangladesh, the region of India, Sri Lanka), Indochina (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam), south-central China and Hainan, the Philippines and the Lesser Sunda Islands.

[3] It is found in damp locations, such as the wet soil and rocks of river valleys in dense forests and shrublands, growing below elevations of 1000 m.[4]