Stems short- to long-creeping, 3--10 mm diam. Leaves monomorphic to somewhat dimorphic, evergreen, fertile leaves with longer petioles, to 2 m or more. Petiole tan, to ca. 1 m × 10 mm, at base with scales absent or ephemeral. Blade 50--120 cm, with apical pinna similar to lateral pinnae and 1/2 to nearly equaling longest lateral pinna; buds often present at base of proximal pinna. Pinnae to 20 pairs or more, widest at or near rounded or broadly cuneate base, 20--30 × 2--6 cm, margin entire to crenulate; main lateral veins of fertile pinnae 2--4 per cm, with 12--20 rows of areoles between costa and margin, secondary veins somewhat curved. Indument abaxially of mostly adpressed, curved hairs 0.2--0.3 mm on costae; blades glabrous adaxially. Sori oblong-arcuate, uniseriate between lateral veins on cross-veins; indusia lacking; sporangia glabrous. 2 n = 144.

Hammocks in subacid, swampy soil in full shade; 0--50 m; Fla.; s Mexico; West Indies in the Antilles; South America in Colombia, n Venezuela.

Thelypteris reticulata is very rare in the flora.