The angled up to nearly erect or horizontal Pellaea pteroides fronds are compound; mostly bipinnate, sometimes only pinnate when young.

The young frond segments are initially elliptic and rounded at both ends as in the photo, later becoming ovate, meaning broader at the base. The shiny and leathery green surfaces bulge slightly on both sides of the sunken midribs.

The rachises are dark in these ferns. The generic name, Pellaea, is derived from the Greek word pellos meaning dark coloured, noting this feature. The specific name, pteroides, is derived from the Greek words pteron meaning a feather or wings and -oides meaning resembling, referring to the frond shape (Andrew, 2017; iNaturalist; Wikipedia; https://www.fernkloof.org.za).