Rhizomes stout, erect, often covered in dead stipe bases. Stipes 10-40 cm long, pale brown. Stipes and rachises densely covered in orange-brown scales. Laminae elliptic or narrowly elliptic, 2-pinnate, 30-125 × 15-30 cm, glossy when fresh, yellowish green. Primary pinnae in 25-50 (or more) pairs, narrowly triangular or ± oblong, tapering at apices, sessile, 8-15 × 2-3 cm, with a darkish patch near junction with rachis when fresh. Secondary pinnae in 15-30 pairs, oblong, adnate or decurrent on pinna midrib, obliquely truncate at apices, ± entire or toothed only at apices, to 15 × 7 mm; secondary pinnae on the basal pair of primary pinnae ± equal in length either side of midrib. Sori round, 1-5 pairs on each secondary pinna, often confined to upper pinnae, covered by reniform indusia which are rolled under sporangia when young.