Leaf rosettes c. 25 cm diameter in groups of up to 25 or more. Leaves coriaceous, yellowish green, up to 25 cm long, once-pinnate, with usually 4 pairs of leaflets more or less in one plane; sheath up to 90 × 12—6 mm, sheath joint usually obscure; stipules simple, up to 35 × 1 — 1.5 mm; petiole up to 45 × 3—4 mm, ± convex above, margins rounded, pulvinus (Fig. 4) evident, 8—10 mm long; lamina ± obtriangular in outline, lowermost leaflet up to 100 × 3—4 mm, apex acute with a spine c. 1 mm long, margins with very fine tubercles, mid- and margin ribs c. 0.2 mm wide, veins not raised. Inflorescences of broad type. Female inflorescence up to 520 mm long, occasionally larger, with a stem 300 × 10 mm, pale yellow to brown; head 125 × 90 mm, more or less ovate in outline; compound umbels 12— 16, usually arranged in 3 or 4 whorls, the terminal umbel larger than to about the same size as the laterals; lower bracts c. 70 mm long, with a sheath c. 20 × 8—4 mm, stipules, and 1 — 2 pairs of leaflets, upper bracts smaller and simple with stipules. Lower compound umbels up to 70 mm long with peduncles up to 50 × 2.5 mm; primary bracteoles simple, up to 9 × 1 mm; simple umbels c. 13 with peduncles up to 1 5 × 0.8 mm; secondary bracteoles simple, up to 7 × 1 mm; c. 15 flowers per umbel with pedicels up to 3 × 0.2 mm. Sepals up to 0.8 mm long; petals up to 1.4 × 0.7 mm, not inflexed; staminodes up to 0.6 mm long. Mericarps pale brown, dull, up to 4.1 × 2 mm with a style up to 1.2 mm long, lateral ribs up to 0.4 mm wide. Male inflorescences up to 420 mm long, with a stem 290 × 8 mm, pale yellow to brown; head 140 × 105 mm, almost circular in outline; compound umbels c. 8, tending to be in 2 or 3 whorls, the terminal umbel generally larger than the laterals; bracts and bracteoles similar to those of the female; lower compound umbels up to 80 mm long with peduncles up to 55 × 2 mm; c. 14 simple umbels with peduncles up to 15 × 0.4 mm; c. 20 flowers per umbel with pedicels up to 5 × 0.2 mm. Sepals up to 0.8 mm long; petals up to 1.3 × 0.6 mm, not inflexed; stamens up to 2.5 mm long.

Folia conferta, pinnata, usque ad 25 cm longa; foliolis 4- jugis; stipulis simplicibus. brevioribus quam petiolis; pulvinus petioleus prominens. Inflorescentia paniculata, feminea usque ad 52 cm longa, mascula usque ad 42 cm longa. Carpellis circa 4 mm longis, 2 mm latis, stylis circa 1 mm longis, juga 5, vittae ad valleculas solitariae.

Leaf rosettes up to 20 cm diameter in groups of up to 10 or more, sometimes rhizomatous. Leaves coriaceous, grey-green, sometimes yellowish, up to 18 cm long, mostly 4 - 5 pairs of leaflets, tending to be folded upward; sheath up to 70 × 12 - 2.5 mm, sheath joint usually evident; stipules much shorter than to almost as long as the petiole, up to 30 × 0.6 mm, petiole up to 40 × 2 mm, flat to convex above, margins rounded to acute, pulvinus obscure, 1 — 2 mm long; lamina ± rhombic in outline, lowermost leaflet up to 50 × 2 - 3 mm, apex acute with a spine c. 1 mm long, midrib obscure to 0.2 wide, marginrib c. 0.2 mm wide, ribs and veins often raised and prominent. Inflorescences of broad type. Female inflorescence up to 300 mm long, with a stem 200 × 3 - 4 mm, brown to green; head 60-80 × 40 mm, more or less ovate in outline; compound umbels 4 - 8, usually arranged in 2 - 3 whorls, the terminal umbel larger than the lower laterals; lower bracts c. 30 mm long with a sheath c. 20 × 2.5 mm, stipules, and one leaflet pair; upper bracts smaller and simple with stipules. Lower compound umbels up to 30 mm long with peduncles up to 20 × 1 mm, primary bracteoles simple, up to 10 × 1 mm; simple umbels up to 5 with peduncles up to 6 × 0.5 mm; secondary bracteoles simple, up to 7 × 1 mm; up to 10 flowers per umbel with pedicels up to 2 × 0.2 mm. Sepals up to 0.9 mm long; petals up to 1.1 × 0.5 mm, not inflexed; staminodes up to 0.3 mm long. Mericarps dark to pale brown, dull, up to 4 × 2 mm, rarely longer, with a style up to 1.1 mm long; lateral ribs up to 0.3 mm wide. Male inflorescence up to 240 mm long, with a stem 150 × 3.5 mm, green to brown; head 90 × 50— 70 mm, ovate to circular in outline; compound umbels 5 - 7, tending to be in 2 - 3 whorls, the terminal umbel larger than the lower laterals; bracts similar to those of the female; lower compound umbels up to 50 mm long, with peduncles up to 35 × 1.5 mm; primary bracteoles up to 20 × 1.5 mm; up to 10 simple umbels with peduncles up to 10 × 1 mm; secondary bracteoles up to 8 × 0.5 mm; 10—15 flowers per umbel with pedicels up to 3 × 0.1 mm. Sepals up to 1 mm long; petals up to 1.1 × 0.6 mm, not inflexed; stamens up to 2.1 mm long.

Leaf rosettes up to 25 cm diameter in groups of up to 25 or more. Leaves coriaceous, yellow-green, up to 30 cm long, with 2 to 4 pairs of leaflets, usually not in one plane-, sheath c. 80 × 15-5 * mm, sheath joint usually obscure; stipules much shorter than to almost as long as the petiole, up to 70 × 1 mm; petiole up to 90 × 3 mm, ± convex above, margins rounded, pulvinus evident, up to 12 mm long (Fig. 4); lamina ± obtriangular in outline, lowermost leaflet up to 130 × 2.5—4 mm, apex acute with a spine c. 2 mm long, midrib obscure, marginrib c. 0.2 mm wide, veins not raised. Inflorescences of narrow type. Female inflorescence up to 600 mm long, with a stem c. 490 × 11 mm, yellow-orange; head c. 140 × 30 mm, more or less lanceolate in outline; compound umbels 20—25, usually arranged in 5— 7 whorls, the terminal umbel smaller than the lower laterals; lower bracts c. 80 mm long, with a sheath up to 35 × 9 mm, stipules, and 1 — 2 pairs of leaflets; upper bracts smaller and simple with stipules. Lower compound umbels up to 35 mm long with peduncles up to 20 × 2 mm, sometimes sessile, primary bracteoles usually wanting, simple umbels up to 6 with peduncles up to 12 × 0.7 mm, the innermost umbels often sessile; secondary bracteoles simple, up to 7 × 1 mm; up to 15 flowers per umbel with pedicels up to 2.5 × 0.2 mm. Sepals up to 0.3 mm long; petals up to 1 × 0.5 mm, not inflexed; staminodes up to 0.5 mm long. Mericarps pale brown, dull, up to 4.5 × 1.9 mm with a style up to 1.2 mm long; lateral ribs <0.5 mm wide. Male inflorescences up to 520 mm long, with a stem 270 × 12 mm, yellow-orange; head 260 × 80 mm, lanceolate in outline; compound umbels up to 38, tending to be in 5 —7 whorls, the terminal umbel smaller than the lower laterals; bracts similar to those of the female; lower compound umbels up to 80 mm long often with a whorl or 2 of simple umbels on the peduncle which is up to 70 × 2 mm; up to 13 simple umbels with peduncles up to 12 × 0.4 mm; up to 15 flowers per umbel with pedicels up to 2 × 0.1 mm. Sepals up to 0.3 mm long; petals up to 1.2 × 0.8 mm, not inflexed; stamens up to 2 mm long. * The width measurements are for base and apex respectively.

The larger of the 2 varieties with leaf rosettes up to c. 25 per plant, leaves up to 300 mm long and female inflorescences up to 600 mm high. Usually 3, sometimes 4 pairs of leaflets.

Smaller than var. montana with leaf rosettes up to c. 5 per plant, leaves up to 230 mm long and female inflorescences up to 400 mm high. Usually 2 pairs of leaflets.

Leaf rosettes up to 20 cm diameter in groups of 10 or more. Leaves coriaceous, yellow-green, up to 23 cm long, mostly 6—7 pairs of leaflets sometimes more, more or less in one plane; sheath up to 60 × 15-6 mm, sheath joint usually evident; stipules up to 40 × 1 mm, petiole up to 80 × 4 mm, flat to concave above, margins rounded, pulvinus evident up to 5 mm long; lamina ± rhombic in outline, lowermost leaflet up to 65 × 3—3.5 mm, apex acute with a spine up to c. 2 mm long, midrib obscure, marginrib c. 0.2 mm wide, veins not or slightly raised. Inflorescences of broad type. Female inflorescence up to 400 mm long, with a stem 300 × 5.5 mm, yellow to brown, head 100 × 90 mm, more or less obdeltate in outline; compound umbels up to 14, usually arranged in 2 - 3 whorls, the terminal umbel larger than the lower laterals; lower bracts c. 55 mm long with a sheath c. 23 × 6 mm, stipules, and 2 pairs of leaflets; upper bracts smaller and simple with stipules. Lower compound umbels up to 80 mm long with peduncles up to 60 × 1 mm, primary bracteoles simple, up to 10 × 0.5 mm: simple umbels up to 7 with peduncles up to 16 × 1 mm; secondary bracteoles simple up to 6 × 0.5 mm; up to 12 flowers per umbel with pedicels up to 3 × 0.2 mm. Sepals up to 0.6 mm long; petals up to 1.2 × 0.6 mm, not inflexed; staminodes up to 0.3 mm long. Mericarps pale brown, dull, up to 4.2 × 1.6 mm, with a style up to 1.3 mm long; lateral ribs up to 0.3 mm wide. Male inflorescence up to 300 mm long, with a stem 170 × 4 mm, yellow; head 130 × 90 mm, ovate to ± circular in outline; compound umbels up to c, 10 in 2 to 3 whorls, the terminal umbel larger than the lower laterals; bracts similar to those of the female; lower compound umbels up to 90 mm long with peduncles up to 70 × 2 mm; primary bracteoles up to 15 × 1.5 mm; up to 15 simple umbels with peduncles up to 10 × 1 mm; secondary bracteoles up to 5 × 0.2 mm; up to 15 flowers per umbel with pedicels up to 3 × 0.1 mm. Sepals up to 0.6 mm long; petals up to 1.5 × 1 mm, not inflexed; stamens up to 2 mm long.