Plants epiphytic or terrestrial, rhizomatous ferns. Rhizomes usually erect, with radial steles. Leaves simple to 1-several times pinnate; rachises terete but winged and longitudinally grooved, with a raised ridge in the centre and 2 grooves on each side, the wings confluent with the lower side of the pinnae, if present. Sori usually linear, paralleling a vein and usually covered by indusia.
Asplenium is now interpreted as including more than 700 species, many of which were previously placed in other genera. One of the genera now included in Asplenium is Ceterach.