Tassel ferns are known for their striking, vase-shaped clump of fronds. The fronds are a deep, lustrous, dark green and have a finely divided, lacy appearance. The common name "tassel fern" comes from the way the new fronds, or crosiers, unfurl. They emerge covered in golden, hair-like scales and flip over backward, resembling a tassel, before gradually righting themselves as they mature.