Rhizome long-creeping, 1-2 mm diam., covered in red-brown hairs 2-3.5 mm long, giving rise to stipes at intervals of 1.5-9 cm. Stipes 10-45 cm long, 1.5-3.5 mm diam., dark purple-red to redbrown, bearing red-brown hairs up to 3 mm long, numerous at base, more scattered above, becoming replaced by abundant colourless glandular hairs which are very variable in length but generally shorter than the brown hairs. Laminae angularovate, 20-60(90) × 12.5-35(50) cm, pinnate at apex, tripinnate at base (almost quadripinnate in largest specimens), exuding white milky substance from upper surface with age. Rachis red-brown at base, becoming pale yellow brown at apex, densely covered in short glandular hairs (0.1-0.8 mm) and more scattered longer red-brown hairs (up to 2 mm long, but mostly c. 0.5 mm). lry pinnae in 20-35 pairs ± tapering pinnatifid terminal portion, opposite or subopposite, lower arising at 35-80°, upper ones at nearly 90°, longest ones below the middle and usually basal 6.5-38 × 4-15 cm; lowest ones 3-15(20) cm apart, middle ones 1-5 cm apart; upper ones narrowly ovate or triangular to almost linear, lowest ovate or triangular, all with long tapering pinnatifid terminal portion. 2ry pinnae narrowly ovate, longest 2.4-9.0 × 0.9-3.0 cm, those on the lower pinnae decreasing markedly in length along the pinnae. 3ry pinnae ovate, 0.5-1.6 × 0.3-0.75 cm, divided into 2-4 pairs of ultimate segments, broadly winged. Veins reaching margin at a tooth apex, often very slightly excurrent. Hairs: lamina margins, undersurfaces, veins, and midribs densely covered in short colourless glandular hairs (0.1- 0.3 mm long on laminae, up to 0.4 mm on midribs), interspersed with occasional non-glandular hairs of same length; equal mixture of short colourless glandular and non-glandular hairs on upper surface; occasional longer red-brown non-glandular hairs on midribs. Sori: usually one on acroscopic edge of each ultimate segment, sometimes second on basiscopic edge, originating away from margin, virtually unprotected. Spores very pale under light microscope, perispores of interconnecting flattened projections, (25)28-35(39) × (17)18-21(23) mcm (8 populations). See Fig. IB, 2A, 3D, 7B, and 18B.

Rhizoma repens, 1 -2 mm diametro, pilis rufescentibus 2-3.5 mm longis, stipites 1.5-9 cm distantes efferens. Stipes 10-45 cm longus, 1.5-3.5 mm diametro, atropurpureus vel rufescens, pilis rufescentibus usque ad 3 mm longos basi multis supra sparsis et pilis multis brevioribus glanduliferis hyalinis interspersis. Lamina angulato — ovata, 20-60(90) × 12.5-35(50) cm, apice pinnata, basi tripinnata (grandissimae laminae fere quadripinnatae), humorem lacteam pagina superiore maturitate exsudans. Rhachis basi rufescens, apice fulva, pilis multis brevibus glanduliferis (0.1-0.8 mm) et pilis sparsis rufescentibus longioribus usque ad 2 mm longos (plerumque c. 0.5 mm). 1ry pinnae 20-35-jugatae cum apice pinnatifido acuminato, oppositae vel suboppositae, inferiores ad angulum 35-80° patentes, superiores fere 90° patentes; longissimae infra medium et plerumque basi repertae, 6.5-38 × 4- 15 cm; infimae 3—15(20) cm distantes, medianae 1-5 cm distantes; superiores anguste ovatae vel triangulatae vel fere lineares, infimae ovatae vel triangulatae, omnes apicibus longis pinnatifidis acuminatis. 2ry pinnae angulare ovatae, longissimae 2.4-9.0 × 0.9-3.0 cm, inferiorum lrpinnarum apicem versus longe valde decrescentes. 3ry pinnae ovatae, 0.5-1.6 × 0.3-0.75 cm, in 2-4 segmenta binata divisae, late alatae. Venae marginem in apicibus dentium attingentes, saepe parum excurrentes. Margines, paginae inferiores costaeque pinnarum pilis multis brevibus hyalinis glanduliferis, pilis sparsis setosis interspersis, dense vestiti (0.1-0.3 mm longis in laminis, usque ad 0.4 mm in costis); paginae superiores pilis brevibus hyalinis glanduliferis setosisque pariter vestitae; costae pilis sparsis setosis rufescentibus longioribus vestitae. Sori 1-2 in pinnulis ultimis, procul a margine exorientes, reflexis pinnularutn marginibus fere non obtecti. Sporae pallidae, perisporae projecturis complanatis interconnexis, (25)28-35(39) × (17)18-21(23)mcm.

n = 52